Marking 20 years after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant influence for many musicians included, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
