It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through 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 the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”