Marking two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match 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.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “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 risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
