Marking two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts 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 lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
