It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, 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 derivative titles like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
