Marking 20 years after the legendary game first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
