It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact on numerous musicians included, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded 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 risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
