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Marking two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.

The studio had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's first record was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact

Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of their songs rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.

The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller

Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”