Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant influence on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
