Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” 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 specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, and sales of their songs rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes 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 being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
