It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
