It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s 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 customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. 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. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, with expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
