It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant influence for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
