Marking two decades after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to 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 purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
