Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
