It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their records. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat 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 mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
