It has been two decades after the legendary game hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, 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 trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with expectations of something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
