Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over half a million copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
