Marking two decades after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units upon release, while demand for their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
