Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, 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, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their records. It sold well over half a million units upon release, while sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, 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 everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “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 urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
