It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
