Guitar Hero at 20 – The Plastic Guitar That Connected Generations Between Music Generations
Marking two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available 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 AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”