It has been two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – 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 airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
