Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice 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 go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
