It has been 20 years since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged 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 risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
