Marking two decades after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant influence on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. 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. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed 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. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators 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 of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
