It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their records. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
