Marking two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, 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 songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo 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. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
