Marking 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their records. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “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 – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
