It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following 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, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
