Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized 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, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
