It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
