Marking two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact for many musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
