Marking 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade 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, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut 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?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
