It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label 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 via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
