Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence 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 initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
