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'''ScoreHero.com''' is a video gaming discussion website that specializes in the [[Guitar Hero (series)|Guitar Hero]] and [[Rock Band (game)|Rock Band]] games. The biggest feature of the site is the scoreboard section, where players of the games can submit their personal high scores and have them compared against other players who have submitted scores. The site's structure encourages competitive users to try to get the highest scores possible on all difficulties. ScoreHero also contains forums, where the community of players can talk about the site, share tips on how to hit tricky sections of songs, discuss optimal Star Power and Overdrive usage, praise or criticize game features, and find other players to play with online or at a specified meeting place.  

'''ScoreHero.com''' is a video gaming discussion website that specializes in the [[Guitar Hero (series)|Guitar Hero]] and [[Rock Band (game)|Rock Band]] games. The biggest feature of the site is the scoreboard section, where players of the games can submit their personal high scores and have them compared against other players who have submitted scores. The site's structure encourages competitive users to try to get the highest scores possible on all difficulties. ScoreHero also contains forums, where the community of players can talk about the site, share tips on how to hit tricky sections of songs, discuss optimal Star Power and Overdrive usage, praise or criticize game features, and find other players to play with online or at a specified meeting place.  

== History ==

== History ==

On May 6th, 2007, Joseph made an announcement asking for the users of ScoreHero to collectively donate $10,000 for an upgraded server. Although it appeared as though the users were going to reach the goal, Alex Rigopulos, President of [[Harmonix Music Systems]], the then developers of the Guitar Hero series, donated $2000 on behalf of the company, not only earning the gratitude of the ScoreHero community but also pushing the total to within $500 of the $10,000 target<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=25654126 Harmonix donates to keep fansite running] [[GameSpot]]. Retrieved 12-28-07.</ref><ref>[http://kotaku.com/gaming/harmonix/good-pr-harmonix-stump-up-cash-for-fansite-263504.php Good PR: Harmonix Stump Up Cash For Fansite] Kotaku. Retrieved 12-28-07.</ref>. Chris Canfield and Dan Schmidt (a long-time user of ScoreHero), also employees of Harmonix, chipped in with donations as well.

On May 6th, 2007, Joseph made an announcement asking for the users of ScoreHero to collectively donate $10,000 for an upgraded server. Although it appeared as though the users were going to reach the goal, Alex Rigopulos, President of [[Harmonix Music Systems]], the then developers of the Guitar Hero series, donated $2000 on behalf of the company, not only earning the gratitude of the ScoreHero community but also pushing the total to within $500 of the $10,000 target<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=25654126 Harmonix donates to keep fansite running] [[GameSpot]]. Retrieved 12-28-07.</ref><ref>[http://kotaku.com/gaming/harmonix/good-pr-harmonix-stump-up-cash-for-fansite-263504.php Good PR: Harmonix Stump Up Cash For Fansite] Kotaku. Retrieved 12-28-07.</ref>. Chris Canfield and Dan Schmidt (a long-time user of ScoreHero), also employees of Harmonix, chipped in with donations as well.

== Score Input System ==

== Score Input System ==

== Custom Songs ==

== Custom Songs ==

It was discovered after extensive research of the game engine used for Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II by many knowledgeable forum users that the songs on the game could be replaced with other songs and notecharts. This led to an extensive customizing scene, involving thousands of songs from all types of genres. Replacing a song on the game involves placing a [[MIDI]] file containing the note chart into the space previously occupied by another song and importing an MP3 or OGG file into the corresponding VGS file (VGS is a type of audio compression utilised on the [[Playstation 2]] platform). The release of [[Guitar Hero 3]] provided a challenge to the programmers on the forum, as the charts and audio files were made under different file extensions and were oddly encrypted, but eventually the PS2 [http://www.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=42583] and PC [http://www.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45322] versions of the game were cracked and made editable.  

It was discovered after extensive research of the game engine used for Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II by many knowledgeable forum users that the songs on the game could be replaced with other songs and notecharts. This led to an extensive customizing scene, involving thousands of songs from all types of genres. Replacing a song on the game involves placing a [[MIDI]] file containing the note chart into the space previously occupied by another song and importing an MP3 or OGG file into the corresponding VGS file (VGS is a type of audio compression utilised on the [[Playstation 2]] platform). The release of [[Guitar Hero 3]] provided a challenge to the programmers on the forum, as the charts and audio files were made under different file extensions and were oddly encrypted, but eventually the PS2 [http://www.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=42583] and PC [http://www.scorehero.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45322] versions of the game were cracked and made editable. Effort is also being put into custom songs for the Wii version of Guitar Hero 3, and customs have been sucessfully placed in the game.

 

The Software forum section provides all the tools needed to start customizing, and experienced customizers provide help to people new to customizing. Although the process of customizing could be controversial with respect to its legality, the site does not endorse any illegal activities i.e. the illegal downloading of the actual music files (MP3s, OGGs, etc.) needed and help with the process of modding one's game system to play burned DVDs. Only MIDI files and licensed music files are available.  Also, the distribution of songs which are already in either Guitar Hero or Rock Band, or have been announced for either, is strictly forbidden. Despite this, both [[Harmonix]] and [[Neversoft]] (the creators of the games in the Guitar Hero sides) fully support the field of custom songs, to such an extent that Neversoft hired at least one of the Scorehero charters to work on their Guitar Hero games.

The Software forum section provides all the tools needed to start customizing, and experienced customizers provide help to people new to customizing. Although the process of customizing could be controversial with respect to its legality, the site does not endorse any illegal activities i.e. the illegal downloading of the actual music files (MP3s, OGGs, etc.) needed and help with the process of modding one's game system to play burned DVDs. Only MIDI files and licensed music files are available.  Also, the distribution of songs which are already in either Guitar Hero or Rock Band, or have been announced for either, is strictly forbidden.

Anybody who wishes to use custom songs in their copy of Guitar Hero should take note that it requires a method of booting non-official media, since the custom version of the game will be burned to a blank DVD-R disk (DVD+R can also be used, but DVD-R appears to be more stable). For the Playstation 2 version of the games, this means either a [[mod chip]] or a copy of [[Swap Magic]] must be used.

== ScoreHero in the Media ==

== ScoreHero in the Media ==