It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, while sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
