Marking two decades after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. 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 another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
