Marking 20 years after the legendary game debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over half a million copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out over a mere 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 on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
