Marking two decades since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant influence for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
