It has been two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
