It has been two decades after the legendary game debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
