Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
