Marking two decades after the legendary game debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’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 several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, while demand for their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult 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, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
