Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant influence for many of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money than any of their records. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to 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 made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
