It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence for many musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
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 adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.
The band had already completed a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
