It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, 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, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for their songs rose significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
