Marking 20 years since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their records. It sold more than half a million units upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously completed a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
