Marking two decades after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, however when it was included in the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just 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”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
