It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
