Marking two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, 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
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most 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. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s 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 as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
