Marking two decades since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
