It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant influence on numerous musicians included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like 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 and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group more money than any of their records. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
