It has been two decades after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
