It has been 20 years since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted 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, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
