It has been 20 years since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every 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 pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already completed a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, with expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
