Marking two decades since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant influence for many of the artists included, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero 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 recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
