It has been 20 years since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
The band had already completed a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
