It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however when it was included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”
