It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
