It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with 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 several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
