It has been 20 years since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
