It has been 20 years after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
