It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over half a million copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
