Marking two decades since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, 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 the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
