It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game 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 several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
