Marking 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American 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
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money than any of their records. It sold more than half a million units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. 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 another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
