Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant influence for many musicians included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money than any of their records. It moved more than half a million units upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band had already completed a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
