Marking 20 years after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who's mastered the epic 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 mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
