Marking 20 years since the legendary game first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear 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 Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
