It has been two decades after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence for many musicians included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
