Marking 20 years since the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to 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 appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
