Marking two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having 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 pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, while sales of their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
