It has been two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their records. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
