It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed 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 similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already completed a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
