It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money than any of their records. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem 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 while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, with expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
