It has been two decades after the legendary game first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however once it got included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
