It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million copies in its first week, while demand for their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”
