It has been two decades after the legendary game debuted in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for their songs rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
