It has been two decades since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, and demand for their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
