Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
