Marking 20 years after the legendary game debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their records. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, with set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
