Marking 20 years after the legendary game debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
