Marking two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant influence for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
