Marking two decades since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant impact for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
The band previously completed a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, 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 Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
