It has been two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved 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 it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, 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 were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, and sales of their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear 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
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
