It has been two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
