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It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.

The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant influence on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was 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. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”

At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than half a million units upon release, while 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 dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.

The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller

The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”