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It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.

Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.

“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact

Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”