Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
