It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with 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 pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
