It has been 20 years since the legendary game first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant influence for many musicians included, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 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.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured 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, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
