It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
