It has been 20 years since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously 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 glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
