Marking two decades since the legendary game first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their records. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, 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.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just 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 Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved 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 where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
