Marking two decades since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, with set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
