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It has been 20 years after the legendary game debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic 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 the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.

Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant influence for many musicians featured, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”

At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact

Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.

The band had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames 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 rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller

The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

Most installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Games such as Clone Hero 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 their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”