It has been two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were 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 has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer 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 musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs 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.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
