Marking two decades after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
