Marking two decades after the legendary game first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted 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 adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
