Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
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 all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among 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 an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band 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 widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
