It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire 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, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
