Marking 20 years after the legendary game debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
