Marking two decades after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
