It has been 20 years after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
