It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant influence for many of the artists included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
