Marking two decades after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.
The band previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
