Marking 20 years after the legendary game first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
The band previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
