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It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.

Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact for many musicians featured, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.

“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units upon release, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months of practice.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller

The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”