Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their records. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
