It has been 20 years after the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, with expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
