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It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.

Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.

“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than half a million units upon release, and demand for their songs rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.

The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, 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 overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

Most installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.

Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?

“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”