Marking two decades since the legendary game hit the market in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant influence on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced 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 bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
