Marking 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant influence on numerous of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
