The Iconic Game at 20 – The Plastic Guitar That Bridged the Gap Among Music Fans
Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”