It has been two decades since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence for many musicians included, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music 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 recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting 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 Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
