Marking two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting 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 Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 units upon release, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously completed a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
