Marking 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
