It has been two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on 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 compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including 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 brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
