It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
