It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant impact for many musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold more than half a million units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
