It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
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 music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt 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 but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with expectations of something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
