It has been 20 years since the legendary game first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already completed a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
