Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant impact for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
