Marking two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded 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 risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
