Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
