Marking two decades after the legendary game debuted in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant influence for many musicians featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months 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.
The band had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, 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 both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
