It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
