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Marking 20 years after the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.

The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

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

“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact

Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.

DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.

Most installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”