It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive 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 five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
