Marking two decades after the legendary game first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like 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: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label.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 band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, and demand for their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, 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 all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
