It has been two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact for many musicians featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than half a million units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of 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. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
