It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
