Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes 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. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
