Marking 20 years since the legendary game hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their records. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, and demand for their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “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 performed just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star 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 do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
