It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
