Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. 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 on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
