Marking 20 years since the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a profitable run when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge 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 half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
