Marking two decades since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, while demand for their songs rose significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
The band previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” 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 their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
