It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money compared to their records. It moved well over half a million copies in its first week, and sales of their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.
The band previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured 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 listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
