Marking two decades since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact on numerous 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 financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over 500,000 units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only 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”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments were released in just a 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, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
