Marking two decades after the legendary game debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant influence on numerous of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, 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, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
