It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label.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 the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
