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Marking two decades after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.

Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing classic 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 rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million units upon release, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s 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. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.

“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.

The band previously completed a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller

The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

The majority installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?

“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”