It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant impact for many of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
