It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
