Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
