It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
