It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
