Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames 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 shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
