It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their records. It moved well over 500,000 units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
