It has been two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence for many musicians included, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with 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 in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
