It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant impact for many of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” 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 create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
