It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or 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 being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project 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 production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
