It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls 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 was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
