It has been two decades after the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence for many musicians included, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”
