Marking two decades after the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant influence for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
