Marking two decades since the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as 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 production on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
