It has been two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain 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 and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat 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 and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, 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 on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
