Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant impact for many musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their records. It sold well over half a million units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
