It has been two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact on numerous musicians included, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “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 use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of 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 participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
