It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant impact for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously completed a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
