Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
