Marking 20 years after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units upon release, while sales of their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, 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 Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
