It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
