It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant impact for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production 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?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
