Marking 20 years after the legendary game debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive 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 it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already 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 our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
