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It has been 20 years since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.

Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery 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 thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact

Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections 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 moved more than half a million units upon release, and demand for their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism 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 – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.

DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured 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, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”