It has been two decades since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
