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Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.

A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.

“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following the classic?

“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”