It has been 20 years after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand 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 an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
