It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery 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 Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their records. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
