It has been 20 years after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved 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. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
