It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence for many musicians included, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, while demand for their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
