It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt 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 almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
