Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “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 discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought 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 Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
