Marking 20 years after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money compared to their records. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, with expectations of something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
