Marking two decades since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
