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It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.

The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when 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 reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”

In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact

Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over half a million units upon release, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.

The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, 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 risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”