Marking two decades after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created 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 corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice 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 DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
