It has been 20 years after the legendary game debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant influence for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
