It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism 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 – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
