Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact for many of the artists included, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money than any of their records. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
