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It has been two decades after the legendary game first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.

The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant influence for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.

The band had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

The majority installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”