It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant influence for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their records. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
