Marking two decades after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
