It has been two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units upon release, and demand for their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
