It has been two decades after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
