It has been two decades after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
