It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
