It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant influence for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
