Marking 20 years after the legendary game debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
