It has been two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including 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.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
