Marking two decades after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money compared to their records. It moved more than half a million units upon release, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved 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 like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
