Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant influence for many musicians included, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
