It has been two decades since the legendary game first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio 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 groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact for many musicians included, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
