It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact on numerous musicians included, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
