It has been two decades since the legendary game first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant impact for many musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
