Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however when it was included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already completed a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
