It has been 20 years after the legendary game hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously completed a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
