Marking two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence for many musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
