It has been two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their records. It sold well over half a million units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”
