It has been two decades after the legendary game hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s 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 mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team 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 create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
