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Marking two decades since the legendary game debuted in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.

Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.

“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans

Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their records. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring 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 challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.

“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.

Most installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”