Marking two decades since the legendary game 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 lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge 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 from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
