Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant influence on numerous of the artists included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
