Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing 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 follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already completed a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
