It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant influence on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits 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 game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning 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 were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group more money than any of their records. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive 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. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
