It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
