Marking two decades since the legendary game debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got 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, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
