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It has been 20 years after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.

Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”

At that time, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, while sales of their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.

“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.

The band 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 remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing 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 everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller

Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.

The majority installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.

Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”