It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with 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 Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered 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 could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
