It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being 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 participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
