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Marking two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.

Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant influence on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans

Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. 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 as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence

Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, and demand for their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”