It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
The band had already completed a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
