Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant influence on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however when it was included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon 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 do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
