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Harmonix announces music shooter 'Chroma,' sign up for alpha testing now

Alexander Sliwinski
News Content Director
Updated ·4 min read
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Rock Band and Dance Central developer Harmonix is going full Chris Gaines with free-to-play, first-person shooter Chroma. The multiplayer class-based arena gunner for PC has that Harmonix music twist with bullets on a beat and finding the flow in the music activating jump pads for easier arena traversal. The game is being developed in partnership with Hidden Path Entertainment (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Defense Grid: The Awakening).

Chroma's closed alpha will begin this month and sign-ups are available now at PlayChroma.com. The game will continue its development on Valve's Steam Early Access through the year and is expected to be in a publicly playable state sometime this fall.

We recently had the chance to try out the alpha and the game is still finding its voice, with Harmonix representatives acknowledging this is the earliest the studio has ever shown a game. If you sign up for the alpha, you are signing up for a game very much in development where feedback will matter. The good news is that if you decide to participate, you're getting involved in one of the more interesting concepts we've seen for a shooter. Players who can find the rhythm to rampage will have a distinct advantage in this game.

[Image: Harmonix]

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HARMONIX ANNOUNCES INNOVATIVE MUSIC-DRIVEN FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER, CHROMA!

LIMITED CLOSED ALPHA REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
Cambridge, MA – February 17th, 2014 – Today, Award-winning developer Harmonix announced an original free-to-play, music-driven, first-person, multiplayer shooter for PC - Chroma™. Developed in partnership with Hidden Path Entertainment (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Defense Grid: The Awakening), Chroma completely reimagines the classic Arena FPS formula, infusing fast-paced shooter action with music-driven gameplay.

"Chroma has been a dream project of mine for some time," said Harmonix co-founder and CEO Alex Rigopulos. "Watching the teams at Harmonix and Hidden Path begin to bring this vision to life has been tremendously exciting. We're also thrilled to release an alpha version of this game and to evolve it in collaboration with our players. We can't wait to hear what people think of this new approach to both first-person shooters and music games."

Chroma is an all-new entry into PC Game development for the team behind cultural phenomena including Rock Band and Dance Central. With technology powered by Unreal and a partnership with experienced shooter developers Hidden Path, Chroma aims high, even in its alpha release.

"Truly new experiences in video games are very rare," says Mark Terrano, Chief Creative Officer/Founder of Hidden Path Entertainment. "At Hidden Path Entertainment we were delighted to help Harmonix realize their dream of a musical shooter, and are looking forward to the next step – seeing it continue to evolve with the energy, input and creativity from the game community!"
Harmonix has begun accepting applications for a limited Closed Alpha. Participants will get an early look at Chroma while it's still in development, and will be able to give feedback to help shape the game! Interested players can register at http://alpha.chroma.com.

Be sure to check out the Chroma announcement trailer at {URL}!

Key game features:

• Music-driven FPS gameplay – Music matters. Chroma features innovative first-person shooter mechanics that tie the game's soundtrack directly to combat, traversal, and more.
• Music is your weapon – Unleash streams of sound and music with your arsenal and bring the musical landscape to life in battle! From deep wobbling bass to the crunch of an electric guitar, crushing metal drums to poppy synths, choose a weapon load-out that reflects your musical tastes and personal style and take your sounds into battle.
• Band together – Your team is your band: Join up with your friends and battle for glory.. Master multiple classes, each with their own unique musical gameplay mechanics and perks, and lead your team to victory.
• Conquer shifting terrain – "Change Ups" at major musical moments dramatically alter the landscape of the battlefield in real time both physically and strategically, raising sniper towers, adding cover, and more in sync with the music.
• Free-to-play, but not "pay-to-win" – Free to jump in and play with deep customization, but smartly designed to preserve a fun and fair experience for all players.

Chroma will be available free-to-play on PC via Valve's Steam platform in 2014. For more information and updates, head to http://www.chromagame.com, follow @ChromaOfficial on Twitter, and at http://www.facebook.com/ChromaOfficial on Facebook!

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