Marking two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were 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 create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
