It has been two decades after the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available in the US, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue 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 moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured 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 says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, 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 scene active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
