It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, 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 had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
