It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on 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 group more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including 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 kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
