It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant influence for many musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
