Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their records. It moved more than half a million units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
