It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, 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 when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
