Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band more money than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged 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 has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
