It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant influence for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain 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: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money than any of their records. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on 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 is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
