It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly 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 stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
