It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units upon release, and demand for their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
