It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of 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 became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
