Marking two decades since the legendary game first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – 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 double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of 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. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
