It has been two decades after the legendary game debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant influence on numerous of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, while sales of their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released 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. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
