It has been two decades after the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
