It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
