It has been 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however when it was included in the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
