It has been two decades after the legendary game debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for their songs rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
