Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation 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 in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured 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 shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with expectations of something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
