It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously 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 groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on 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 from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that 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, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
