It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million copies 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 fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
