It has been 20 years after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
