It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact for many musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire 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 made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
