Marking 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
