It has been two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however when it was included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
