It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, with expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
