It has been 20 years since the legendary game first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
