It has been two decades after the legendary game debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
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 because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
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 brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt 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 almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
