It has been two decades after the legendary game debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their records. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
