Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with 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 glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
