It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money than any of their records. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when 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 says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
