The Mechanics of Guitar Hero | Mytour

Across living rooms, dormitories, and bars worldwide, people of all ages are grabbing toy guitars and rocking out like a musical apocalypse is imminent. Fans, even from the comfort of their couches and recliners, cheer on virtual rockstars who tackle the challenging notes of Guitar Hero with a precision that’s rhythmically perfect.

For just around $100, you can skip the hardship of mastering real instruments and instead ascend to rockstar status in your own home. Guitar Hero offers players the chance to shred through popular rock tracks, and in doing so, the game became a pop culture sensation. Guitar Hero's global sales surpassed $1 billion in early 2008 [source: Brandweek]. Despite co-founder Charles Huang calling it a “casual game for the masses” [source: Kohler], die-hard fans take it much more seriously, as evidenced by the millions of YouTube views garnered by Guitar Hero performers.

The game's appeal extends across a wide variety of fans. Guitar Hero players aren't just hardcore gamers; they come from all walks of life—preps, hipsters, punks, nerds, and everyone in between. Despite the controller's resemblance to a child’s toy, fans are undeterred. The classic Gibson-inspired design, color-coded buttons, and whammy bar make Guitar Hero a thrilling experience, launching players into the rock 'n' roll stratosphere.

While Guitar Hero may appear to unite people in a virtual Woodstock, its surge in popularity hasn't been embraced by everyone. Like any great rock band that reaches the pinnacle, Guitar Hero's journey is not without its own missteps and controversies.

This article takes a closer look at Guitar Hero from every angle: as a game, a device, and a business. We’ll uncover what’s behind its massive success and explore how this gaming phenomenon has resonated across different demographics and industries.

­

Getting Started with Guitar Hero

Before diving into Guitar Hero, decide if you're aiming for an intimate open mic performance or an electrifying sold-out arena vibe. In the latest installment, "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock," you have five game mode options to choose from, each offering unique challenges to help you build your skills, compete with friends, or rise to rock stardom.

Now, it's time to decide how close you want to get to the rock 'n' roll fire. There are four difficulty levels, each varying in speed and the number of notes that come your way during a song. If you're a beginner, don't even think about anything other than the easy level to get the hang of it.

­

From Mick Jagger's iconic snarl to Gene Simmons' theatrical blood-spitting antics, onstage presence is everything in the rock world. Guitar Hero captures this with a diverse cast of characters, or avatars, for you to choose from. Whether you vibe with Johnny Napalm's mohawk, Judy Nails' bold attitude, or one of the other characters from "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock" (not including the unlockable one), you'll find someone to match your playing style. Plus, as you level up in career mode, you can upgrade your avatars' clothing and instruments to fit your evolving look and sound.

With your set list and band in place, it's time to hit the stage. Keep reading to learn the essential rules for scoring in Guitar Hero.

Playing Guitar Hero

Standing before the television with your plastic guitar slung over your shoulder, you strike your most confident rocker pose. Your fingers hover over the fret buttons, eagerly waiting as the camera zooms in on your avatar and the first beat of the song kicks off. It’s time to play Guitar Hero.

As the music starts, the screen transforms into a note chart that looks like a guitar neck. At the bottom, the target line appears with five color-coded discs aligned in order with the fret buttons on your controller.

When it’s time for your guitar part, colored gems slide toward the target line. The goal of Guitar Hero is to hit the matching fret buttons and strum at the exact moment the gems meet the target line. If you hit it right, a small flame ignites above the gem on-screen. Each successful note earns you points, and hitting more than 10 consecutive notes can multiply your score up to four times.

Timing is key to racking up points, so it helps to know the song. Depending on the mode and difficulty, you’ll follow the lead, bass, or rhythm guitar. During faster sections, keep an eye out for hammer-on and pull-off notes—also called HOPOs. These notes don’t require strumming; simply press the correct fret button when the gem hits the target line. In earlier Guitar Hero versions, you had to hold the previous note’s fret button for a proper hammer-on. HOPOs are marked by completely white centers, whereas regular notes have a black ring around their white center. (In real guitar playing, HOPOs are achieved by hitting or releasing a string hard enough to make a sound without strumming.)

Sustained notes that span multiple beats are also essential to hit. On-screen, these notes are marked with long, bright lines trailing behind them. To prepare, press down the corresponding fret button early, if you have time, and strum once the note aligns with the target line. Since you only need to strum once for sustained notes, you can use your other hand to rotate the whammy bar and hear the notes bend.

Using the whammy bar also activates your star power, which we’ll discuss shortly.

Guitar Hero Tips and Tricks

Scoring isn't the only factor in Guitar Hero success. The rock meter located on the bottom right of the screen tracks your performance. Based on how accurate you are, the needle will point to green, yellow, or red. If it's in the red zone, you’d better focus, as your character could be in danger of being booed offstage.

To boost your score, you need both skillful gameplay and star power. The star power meter on the bottom left of the screen shows your score at the top, the number of consecutive notes hit at the bottom, and a large number in the center that acts as your score multiplier, boosting the value of every note you hit. Collect blue star-shaped gems to fill the meter, and once it flashes, tilt your controller upwards to activate star power, doubling your multiplier. And don't forget, the controller tilt looks incredibly rockin'.

A key feature in the career mode of "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock" is the boss battle. To progress, you must defeat three bosses: Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine, Slash from Velvet Revolver, and Lou the Devil. In multiplayer mode, you can also face off against a friend to see whose skills truly dominate.

In addition to more complex note patterns, the boss battles introduce battle power. In battle mode, hitting star-shaped notes fills your battle power meter. Once it’s full, tilt your controller upwards to unleash a special attack on your opponent. Here’s a rundown of the power moves you’ll encounter and need to master to both deliver and defend against them:

As you progress through the career and co-op modes, you'll unlock a range of hidden treasures. These include bonus tracks, new characters, and fresh guitars and basses. Players have also shared Guitar Hero cheats online for various versions and platforms, which help you easily locate items tucked away in the game’s code.

While earning points is crucial, understanding your axe is just as important. Next, we’ll dive into the mechanics of the game and take a closer look at your Gibson guitar-shaped controller.

The Creation of Guitar Hero and its Unique Controllers

To design a music-centric video game that appeals to a broad audience, you need an eclectic mix of songs from different eras. That’s why the Guitar Hero playlist is packed with timeless tracks like "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses, alongside modern anthems such as "When You Were Young" by The Killers.

Jeff Matsushita, the executive producer of RedOctane, explained that for "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock," the songs selected had to be both legendary and fun to play [source: McBride]. After finalizing the list, California-based sound company WaveGroup re-recorded some of the tracks when a music license for the master versions wasn’t secured. To ensure the covers were as authentic as possible, WaveGroup dug into artist interviews and studied how the original songs were produced, aiming to deliver an experience that was both true to the music and enjoyable for players.

The next step involved the Neversoft development team’s note tracking crew, who transformed the songs into digital maps. The team pinpointed the precise guitar or bass notes players must hit, and plotted their placement on the game’s screen. Additionally, note trackers coordinated animations and light shows to match the notes, such as when Lars Umlaut raises his guitar during an epic solo.

These notes are programmed to interact with the Gibson guitar-shaped controller and record your performance. The coding links the fret button presses with the strum bar, triggering both the animation and sound effects when activated correctly. For example, if you press the green fret button and strum at the right moment when a green gem hits the target line, the gem will burst into flames, and you’ll hear the accurate note in the song.

While the fret buttons determine which note is selected, the strum bar controls the timing of when the sound effects and animations are registered on screen. This is why missing a note can happen if you hit the right fret button but strum at the wrong time. To make this work, the strum bar is spring-loaded, so when pressed, a lever inside strikes an electric switch, sending a signal to the game’s software. At the same time, pressing the fret buttons also triggers the software, just like pressing a button on a regular video game controller.

You know how tilting your controller activates star power? The sensors inside your controller detect the increased motion and shift in gravity when you raise it vertically from its usual horizontal resting position.

The whammy bar works like a joystick, according to a patent filed by Harmonix, the original developers of Guitar Hero. Physical movement triggers an electronic switch that communicates with the software, producing a reverb effect when the timing is just right [source: Schmidt et al]. For more details on joystick technology, check out How Joysticks Work.

As you can see, transforming a list of songs into a playable video game takes a lot of effort. Keep reading to discover the origins of these Guitar Hero innovations.

The Evolution of Guitar Hero: From Guitar Hero to Guitar Hero III

The Guitar Hero franchise has achieved incredible success in a short period. After the first game launched in November 2005, the series is preparing to release its fifth installment, "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith," in June 2008 [source: Activision].

While many credit the idea for Guitar Hero to brothers Kai and Charles Huang, the founders of RedOctane, its concept can be traced back a few years earlier to Konami, the creators behind Dance Dance Revolution and Frogger. In 2002, Konami filed a patent for games like GuitarFreaks and DrumMania, which share a similar gameplay concept and guitar-shaped controller [source: Yoshitomi et al]. Activision and RedOctane have since licensed at least two of Konami's patents, as indicated on the "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock" packaging [source: Gamesutra].

RedOctane initially teamed up with Harmonix, a developer known for music-based video games. Together, they produced and distributed the first three Guitar Hero games: "Guitar Hero," "Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s," and "Guitar Hero II."

Anyone who's played the original Guitar Hero knows how far the series has come. The first game was exclusive to the PlayStation 2 and offered only 30 songs, all covers due to the high cost of licensing original tracks. By comparison, "Guitar Hero II" boasted 70 songs and was compatible with both PlayStation 2 and Xbox. However, as the franchise gained immense popularity, the partnership between Harmonix and RedOctane came to an end.

In May 2006, Activision acquired RedOctane for $100 million. A few months later, MTV purchased Harmonix for $175 million. Because RedOctane took the Guitar Hero publishing rights to Activision, fans were dismayed to learn that Neversoft, not Harmonix, would develop "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock." Guitar Hero fans expressed their disappointment online, comparing the change to the closure of small independent stores in favor of larger corporate chains. Neversoft, owned by Activision, had previously worked on major titles like the Tony Hawk skateboarding series, while Harmonix had been a smaller, music-focused studio.

­

Even so, Activision launched "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock" across all major gaming platforms (PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox, Wii) on October 28, 2007. While some players grumbled about the game’s more commercial tone and increased difficulty, it was a massive hit. In less than three months, "Legends of Rock" became the top-selling video game of 2007, with 5.9 million copies flying off the shelves [source: Caulfield].

Has Guitar Hero truly evolved from the primitive to the refined? Let’s just say you'll need your opposable thumbs at the ready to hold your guitar steady as your fingers fly across faster fret buttons, nailing quicker solos. Along with its visual upgrades and a revamped setlist, "Legends of Rock" comes with several standout features, including:

Next, we’ll delve into the current state of the Guitar Hero franchise as a business and explore how its influence has rippled into other markets like a song carried by the breeze.

­

The Business of Guitar Hero

The Guitar Hero franchise has become a major commercial success, amassing over $1 billion in worldwide sales since its initial launch in 2005 [source: Brandweek]. In 2007, "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock" and "Guitar Hero II" ranked as the first and sixth best-selling video games of that year, respectively [source: Caulfield]. With "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith" scheduled for release in June 2008, the franchise is poised for continued success.

The revenue doesn't stop once players spend $100 on the game and controller. Fans can purchase a variety of additional items such as interchangeable faceplates, storage bags, and controller straps directly from RedOctane's online store. Not to mention the myriad third-party manufacturers offering Guitar Hero-related accessories, including t-shirts, miniature controllers, and amplifiers.

For those seeking new challenges in "Legends of Rock," PlayStation and Xbox players can opt to buy downloadable track packs, each featuring three songs for around $6. The game has also been a boon for the music industry, bringing fresh fans to guitar-driven music. According to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), 40% of core gamers aged 13 to 32 discover new music through video game tracks [source: ASCAP Playback]. Of those gamers, a third purchased the artist's music afterward. Moreover, licensing master tracks costs anywhere from $2,500 to over $20,000 [source: ASCAP]. Slash of Velvet Revolver, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, and Bret Michaels of Poison all joined the game, earning undisclosed sums for their involvement.

A study by ArsTechnica found that songs from "Legends of Rock" saw a sales increase of up to 140% after the game's release [source: Kuchera]. Newer bands also benefited from this exposure. For example, the British metal band DragonForce experienced a threefold rise in album sales thanks to their challenging track "Through the Fire and Flames," which has become infamous among "Legend of Rock" players [source: Browne].

On the corporate side, product placement within the game has brought in a wealth of partnerships. While Gibson guitars had been prominently featured in the past, "Guitar Hero III" took cross-promotion to the next level. Some performances take place in the Pontiac Garage, where Red Bull cans are scattered across the stages, and billboards for Axe Body Spray appear behind the virtual rockers. The game's credits list 18 sponsor companies, and with Activision's early 2008 partnership with Microsoft's video game advertising firm, Massive, players can expect even more subtle marketing in future versions.

Despite the heavy marketing and rising profits, the music continues for Guitar Hero fans. Next, let's meet the players who rock the hardest and the culture they've helped create.

Guitar Hero Culture

On March 14, 2008, 16-year-old Chris Chike from Rochester, Minn., ascended to rock star status after breaking the world record for the highest score on a single song in "Guitar Hero III". He achieved 840,647 points playing "Through Fire and Flames". During the performance, Chike’s focus was laser sharp, seemingly channeling the essence of rock 'n' roll, as fans and media crowded around him. His fingers flew across the fret buttons while his thumb danced up and down the strum bar. At the end, the game flashed a simple message: "You Rock."

Interestingly, Chike’s feat of earning half a million views on YouTube doesn’t compare to the viral hits of others: "Conrad the Great" has reached 7.4 million views, and 9-year-old Ben Eberle’s battle on the same song has racked up 4 million. The sheer volume of Guitar Hero-related videos on YouTube, alongside the millions of views they attract, stands as a testament to the cultural phenomenon the game has become. Bars now host Guitar Hero nights, and many partygoers can be seen joining a captivated crowd of Guitar Hero enthusiasts. The official website’s message board alone boasts over 111,000 comments discussing "Guitar Hero III," and ScoreHero.com lets players share their high scores to compare with others globally.

Then, there are the tournaments. If you live in a major city, there’s a good chance you’ll find a Guitar Hero competition nearby. RedOctane, the creators of Guitar Hero, sponsor several tournaments through Beaguitarhero.com. Some of these tournaments are purely competitive, while others are organized for charity purposes. These events offer winners a unique opportunity to go beyond virtual fame and experience the spotlight in front of real audiences. In many ways, these tournaments are the closest Guitar Hero legends come to experiencing true rock 'n' roll stardom.

With the rise of Guitar Hero and its competitor Rock Band, rhythm-based video games have redefined what entertainment means. The world’s rockers now have even more to celebrate.