It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many musicians included, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
