It has been two decades after the legendary game hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
