It has been two decades after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money than any of their records. It sold more than half a million units upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought 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 their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
