Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes 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 felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
