It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, with set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”