It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant influence on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
