Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals 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 moved more than half a million units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace 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 that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
