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It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.

The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.

“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Titles Enduring Influence

Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.

The band had already completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller

The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.

Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”