It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and sales of their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including 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 such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
