Marking two decades since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
