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Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.

The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “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

Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their records. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”