Marking 20 years after the legendary game first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant influence for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
