It has been two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release 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. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their 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 Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring 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 but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
The band previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
