It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their records. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – 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 rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”