Marking 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
