Marking two decades after the legendary game debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact for many musicians included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record remained not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought 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 glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it 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 trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
