Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
The band 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 the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
