It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires 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 creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
