Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant impact for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money compared to their records. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
