Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
