It has been two decades after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than half a million units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, 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 and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
