It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
