Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
