Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact for many musicians included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, 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 some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
