Marking two decades after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
