Marking two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of 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 screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant impact for many musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
