It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero 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. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
