It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant influence for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “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 via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
