Marking two decades after the legendary game debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series 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 the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously completed a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song 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 a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
