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It has been 20 years after the legendary game hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.

Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American 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 soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.

The band previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.

Most installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”