Marking two decades after the legendary game first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant impact on numerous musicians included, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
