It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record remained not available in the US, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
