It has been two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence for many musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their records. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
