Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
The band had already completed a successful tour before their hit appeared 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 like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
