Marking 20 years since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring 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 earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already completed a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
