Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
The band had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, 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. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
