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Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.

Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

The band previously completed a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.

Most installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.

Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”