It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games 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 proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall 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 top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
