It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that 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 from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun production on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”
