Marking two decades after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. 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. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on 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 studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, while sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense 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. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
