It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant influence on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
