It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, with set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders 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 like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
