Marking two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however once it got included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning 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 several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
