Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved 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. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over half a million units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
The band had already completed a profitable run when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
