Marking two decades after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million units upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”