Marking two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant influence on numerous of the artists included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.
The band previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
