Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant influence for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
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 game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, while demand for their songs rose significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on 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 to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey 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, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”
