Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
