It has been two decades after the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant influence for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
