Marking 20 years after the legendary game debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
