It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however when it was included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
