It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact for many musicians included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
