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Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.

The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians included, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided all our music a new life.”

In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.

The band had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”

Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”