It has been two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already completed a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
