It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
