Marking 20 years after the legendary game debuted in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, with set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
