It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant influence on numerous musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their records. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of 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, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
