It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. 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 groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. 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 use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
