Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring 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. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
