It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant impact for many musicians included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
