It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million units upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of 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 why it can’t persist with new generations.”
