It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant influence for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
