It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – 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 increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their records. It moved well over half a million copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” 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 everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
