Marking two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over half a million units upon release, and demand for their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
