Marking two decades after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant influence on numerous of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had 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 provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units upon release, while sales of their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
