It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
