It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
