It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating 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 fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
