Marking 20 years after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence for many musicians included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “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 pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
