It has been two decades since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero 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 musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
