Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. 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 acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing 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, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
