It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being 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”.
Most installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, 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 newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
