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Marking two decades since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.

The studio 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 massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, 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 quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months of practice.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.

Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”