It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their records. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
