It has been two decades after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived 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 game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, with expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
