It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money than any of their records. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
