It has been two decades after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant influence for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their records. It sold well over half a million units upon release, while sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
