Marking 20 years after the legendary game first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights 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 the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late 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 larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however once it got included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
