It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s 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 in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
