It has been 20 years since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however when it was included in the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
