It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when 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 shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
