Marking two decades after the legendary game first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
