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It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant influence for many musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.

“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”

At that time, the band's first record was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact

Music's heavyweight names quickly 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 stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their records. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for their songs rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.

The band previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept 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 of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”