It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
