Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
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. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many musicians included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with expectations of something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
