It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already completed a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
