Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
