Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” says 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, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
