It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however once it got included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their records. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s 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 personalization features. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
