It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, however when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their records. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
