It has been 20 years after the legendary game hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
