It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
