It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”
