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Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.

Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact

Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, while sales of their songs 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 within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.

Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”