It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice 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 musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
