Marking two decades since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant impact for many musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, 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”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”