Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their records. It moved more than half a million units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
The band had already completed a profitable run when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
