It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already completed a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
