It has been two decades after the legendary game first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available 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 the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting 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 related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. 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 such titles might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
