It has been 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
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 became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire 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 half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
