It has been 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months 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 DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already completed a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
