It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the feel 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 in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, 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 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums 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 was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
