Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant influence for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
