It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously completed a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
