Marking 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released 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, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
