Marking 20 years after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work 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 Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
