It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
