It has been 20 years since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that 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 were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
