It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence for many of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. 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 took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. 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 the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
