It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the means 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 before a packed 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 mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence for many musicians included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as 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 and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money than any of their records. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band had already completed a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
