It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, 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. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, 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, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
