It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or 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,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
