Marking two decades after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as 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, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their records. It moved more than half a million units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer 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 and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging 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.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
