Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
