It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“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 our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role 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 longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
