Marking two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights 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 it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired 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 kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
