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It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.

The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.

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

“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans

Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence

Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money than any of their records. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.

The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “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 urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, with set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”