Marking 20 years after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their records. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for their songs rose significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
