It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant influence for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
