Marking two decades after the legendary game first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s 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 and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
