It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money compared to their records. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project 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 their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
