It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
