Marking two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” 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 persist with new generations.”
