It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
