It has been 20 years after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still not available stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
