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Marking two decades since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.

The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact

Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.

Most installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”