Marking two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
