It has been 20 years after the legendary game hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence on numerous musicians included, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”
