It has been two decades after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
