It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered the epic lengthy 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 moving along the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence for many musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
