It has been two decades since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant influence on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun 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, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, with set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
