It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games 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 the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however when it was included in the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
