It has been two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant influence for many musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
