It has been two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
