Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
The band had already completed a profitable run 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 records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “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 their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”