Marking two decades after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the 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 harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
