It has been two decades since the legendary game first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant influence for many musicians included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
The band had already completed a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
