It has been two decades after the legendary game debuted in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant impact for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
