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Marking two decades since the legendary game first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.

Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant impact for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.

The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller

The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?

“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”