It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant influence for many of the artists included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure 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, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
