Marking two decades after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant impact for many musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
