Marking 20 years since the legendary game hit the market in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record remained not available in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, 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 has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
