It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, 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 half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
