Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, 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 eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
