Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
