It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant impact for many of the artists included, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and sales of their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
