It has been two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once 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 the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
The band had already completed a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
