Marking 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”