Marking 20 years since the legendary game first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
