It has been 20 years after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, 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 shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear 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 of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
