Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
