Marking two decades since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than half a million units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
