It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their records. It moved well over half a million copies in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry 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 Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. 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 like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
