Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
