It has been two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. 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. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, while sales of their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already completed a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”
