Marking two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact for many musicians included, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of their songs rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “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”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles 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. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
