It has been 20 years after the legendary game debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant influence for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money compared to their records. It moved well over half a million copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
