harmonix
Latest
'Fantasia: Music Evolved' and its origins in the Kinect-hacking scene
The developers at Harmonix aren't afraid to hit the reset button if something isn't working correctly. Chances are, strumming a plastic Stratocaster changed quite a bit before you ever even started playing "Creep" by Radiohead in Rock Band. Same goes for stepping to the beat of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" in Dance Central, too. That willingness to start from square one time and again? Well, it's carried through to the developer's latest Kinect title, Fantasia: Music Evolved, out now for Xbox 360 and Xbox One, as well. The team's aim, seemingly regardless of project, is for whatever you're doing in one of their titles to seem perfectly obvious and natural.
Fantasia: Music Evolved review: The rhythm is gonna get you
If you've seen the movie Fantasia, you know the bit where Mickey, the Sorcerer's Apprentice, puts on his robe and wizard hat and tries to make magic happen, arms sweeping grandly through the air. Things eventually get out of hand, of course, but for a brief while, Mickey feels the euphoric glee that comes with mastering something really difficult, and in its best moments, Fantasia: Music Evolved makes you feel the exact same way. Pulling off its complicated combos makes you feel like an honest-to-goodness wizard, bending the forces of light and music to your mighty will. Best of all, no pesky brooms to clean up if you miss a beat. The game doesn't really bear all that much resemblance to the movies that shares its name, though cranky sorcerer Yen Sid does make an appearance. You are indeed his apprentice, but your job is to clean up the noise that's cluttering several different areas of the world after Scout, another protege of Yen Sid, accidentally releases it by trying to get a peek at her future. She'd be happy to clean it up herself, but she doesn't have the magic that you learned as the sorcerer's apprentice, so it's on you to restore the music to each location. As cleanup duties go, it's way more fun than mucking about with a bucket and broom.
A City Sleeps review: Bullet purgatory
PC, Mac A City Sleeps marks a bold new direction for developer Harmonix. After spending the last several years working on the big-budget Rock Band and Dance Central franchises, Harmonix is now scaling back its internal studio culture, forming small independent teams within the company to encourage new gameplay concepts that can be fleshed out quickly. A City Sleeps is the first project to launch in the wake of this major shift for the studio. While it doesn't require any musical instrument peripherals to play, the finished product retains much of Harmonix's signature charm, skillfully implementing rhythm-driven gameplay elements in the context of a side-scrolling, arcade-style shoot-'em-up. A City Sleeps succeeds on many fronts, but its short length and uneven difficulty curve make it a tough prospect even for hardcore shooter fans.
Totes download the Disney Fantasia demo on Xbox today
Fantasia: Music Evolved, the music experience game from the studio behind Rock Band and Dance Central, has a demo out today on both Xbox One and Xbox 360 platforms. You'll be able to conduct the full game on October 21. Unlike the film series' focus on classical pieces, Fantasia: Music Evolved features a mix of full orchestra pieces and those pop beats all the kids are boppin' and groovin' to these days. Music Evolved's modern songs include a selection featuring Bruno Mars, Drake and the ever wholesome Nicki Minaj.
Harmonix announces closure of moribund Rock Band Network
Despite a nearly half-decade-long run, developer Harmonix has made the decision to shutter the Rock Band Network, effective immediately. As a showcase for Rock Band Network authors to share their music with potential fans, the Rock Band Network eventually grew to include 2,121 downloadable songs. When you include the Rock Band Network alongside the series' official DLC tunes, the total Rock Band series tracklist comes to a staggering 4,221 songs. Despite its impressive utility, in the end the Rock Band Network was laid low by mounting technical problems. "Some of those problems were server side here at Harmonix, while others were entirely outside of our control," reads the developer's official announcement. "At this point, with Harmonix resources devoted to several other titles in development, we're no longer able to operate RBN with the kind of consistency that it deserves." Edit: This article initially stated that the Rock Band Network allowed users to upload their own tracks. It has since been altered. [Image: Harmonix]
Harmonix Music VR coming to Samsung's Gear VR headset
Virtual reality is cool, but how much fun is the hardware if you don't have anything to run on it? Not much is the answer. Hence, it's goods news that Harmonix (of Rock Band, Dance Central and Amplitude fame) are developing software for the Gear VR headset, a recently-announced virtual reality device created by Oculus in partnership with Samsung that uses the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 4 as a display. According to a blog post from Harmonix, the software is called "Harmonix Music VR," and it functions something like a virtual reality music visualizer. "[Harmonix Music VR] uses Harmonix's proprietary Music Analysis Engine technology to generate a song-specific, high-resolution event sequence that drives the reactive elements in your virtual world," the company writes. "Sit back and relax, taking in the vibrant, musically responsive environment, or explore for even more audio visualizations set to your own tracks." Harmonix Music VR will launch alongside the Gear VR, but when exactly that will be is currently unknown. [Image: Samsung/Oculus]
'Rock Band' creator wants to bend your mind with Samsung's Gear VR
You may have tried VR, but have you ever totally, like really got into it, man? Harmonix, the creator of Rock Band and Dance Central wants to crank Samsung's new Gear VR headset to 11 with an app called Harmonix Music VR. Details are sketchy, but the idea is to don the Oculus-powered device and start playing your favorite tunes. From there, the app will analyze the music and create a "high-resolution event sequence that drives the reactive elements in your virtual world." In layman's terms, we think that means it'll generate "trippy visualizations." Harmonix also used the words "vibrant" and "dreamscape," so we're pretty sure it's going after a certain burgeoning market segment. It'll arrive alongside Samsung's Gear VR later this year, with pricing to follow.
Harmonix's A City Sleeps dreams of bullet hell
It quickly becomes apparent that the developers of Harmonix's A City Sleeps are hardcore arcade shoot-'em-up fans. Its screen-filling bullet patterns recall Cave games like Deathsmiles and DoDonPachi, and its multi-faceted mechanics draw inspiration from Radiant Silvergun and other highly regarded classics. On its surface, A City Sleeps seems like a sudden and dramatic shift for Harmonix, a studio best known for creating the rhythm-driven Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises. Snap on a pair of headphones, however, and you'll instantly recognize A City Sleeps as a Harmonix game. Exceptional sound design elevates A City Sleeps within its genre, and the pedigree of talent involved in its creation made it a standout at PAX Prime.
Dance Central Spotlight, Warframe out today for Xbox One
The stylish twosome of Warframe's sleek ninjas and Dance Central Spotlight's hip-hop curves are both available now on Xbox One. For those who've yet to try Warframe on PC or PS4, the free-to-play multiplayer co-op shooter is best experienced with a group of friends. The game's had significant updates since it launched a year ago. Dance Central Spotlight is the Xbox One's introduction to the only game worth having a Kinect for. The $9.99 starter kit includes 10 songs, with additional tracks available at $1.99 apiece. All DLC, Harmonix says, "from previously purchased versions of Dance Central on Xbox 360 are Spotlight-compatible." We've placed the list of core and downloadable dance tracks after the break.
Fantasia's full set list includes Gaga, Jimi Hendrix, Flaming Lips
You won't know exactly what Fantasia: Music Evolved's set list will sound like once you put your own twist on it, but at least now you know what you'll be working with: Harmonix shared the remainder of Fantasia's tracks at PAX Prime today, with the final portion including Jimi Hendrix's "Fire," Lady Gaga's "Applause," The Flaming Lips' "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, Pt. 1" and contributions from Imagine Dragons, J.S. Bach, New Order, Liszt, Inon Zur and Missy Elliot. Yup, the sampling is still all over the place. You can remind yourself of Fantasia's previously-announced songs with a full bulletpoint set list after the break, but if you want more than the base offering, placing a pre-order will earn you three more songs: OneRepublic's "Counting Stars," Demi Lovato's take on Frozen's "Let It Go" and Avicii's "Lay Me Down." [Image: Harmonix]
Harmonix's dreamy PC shoot-em-up, A City Sleeps
The newest game from Harmonix doesn't involve dancing or guitar peripherals – instead, A City Sleeps is a classic, twin-stick shoot-em-up starring Poe, a dream exorcist and part of The Silk clan. Dream exorcists enter people's dreams to dispose of demons, and everyone in the city of SanLo has fallen into an endless slumber, so there's plenty of work to go around. The game is music-driven because that's still Harmonix's thing. "Level design and song authoring is done in parallel, insuring a hand-crafted and utterly unique audio-experience that only Harmonix can provide," Harmonix says. "Music drives player projectiles, enemy spawning, movement, and bullet patterns." A City Sleeps is due out for PC and Mac on October 16 via Steam, and it's available for pre-order now for $12.75, a 15 percent discount. Harmonix recommends using an Xbox 360 gamepad (keeping that Microsoft relationship alive).
Engadget Live Boston is this Friday!
Our third Engadget Live event of 2014 hits Boston this Friday, August 22nd. At 7PM on the dot, we'll transform Royale into a scene that even Stefon would consider worthy of being Boston's hottest club. Tap your way through the gallery below to find out what you can expect when you come out to our free event.
Take on these Dance Central Spotlight launch day songs
Xbox One's Dance Central Spotlight is getting ready to take center stage on September 2, and while developer Harmonix has already revealed the 10 songs included with the $10 download-only entry in the series, today they've revealed 20 more beats to boogie down to. On launch day, Harmonix will offer songs like DJ Snake and Lil Jon's "Turn Down For What," Erasure's "A Little Respect," A-Ha's "Take On Me" and Bastille's "Pompeii" for $2 each. Each song in Dance Central Spotlight will have eight different dance routines to choose from, and the game also features an expanded Fitness Mode. Of course, the few we've listed above aren't the only songs you can shake your groove thang to. Check out the full list of songs announced this week after the break.
The next Dance Central launches September 2nd on Xbox One
So the Kinectless Xbox One has arrived, and you're now left wondering if the motion sensor from your launch-era system will ever be useful for more than starting games and taking orders from Aaron Paul. Thankfully, it should for at least a little while -- Harmonix has announced that Dance Central Spotlight will be available to download from the Xbox Store on September 2nd. The $10 rhythm title will include 10 core songs from big-name artists (the full list is below), with five extra tracks purchasable from the get-go. If you're a veteran from Dance Central's Xbox 360 days, any tunes you bought in the past will carry over to the Xbox One. We can't promise that your Kinect will get much more attention in the long run, but it's nice to have a reason to keep the once-standard peripheral attached for just a bit longer.
Phil Spencer: Consumers love Kinect, they'll still buy it
Microsoft's recent, unexpected decision to offer an Xbox One without a mandatory Kinect camera peripheral will not drive developers away from the device, according to Xbox head Phil Spencer. "A Kinect game relies on the successful Xbox One installed base," Spencer told GamesIndustry. "I need to, as the head of Xbox, make sure that we've got a platform and a product offering that millions of consumers will love, and I stay focused on that." "We see millions and millions of people using Kinect today. We've had over a billion voice commands used," Spencer added. "Consumers love the device; they love the experience. They'll buy it. They'll either buy it at launch when they buy their console, or they'll be able to buy it after the $399 console; they'll pick it up and add it on later. And we'll continue to make sure that experience is great." Despite Spencer's assurances, reactions from Kinect developers have been less than positive. Staff at Harmonix, developer of Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved, responded to the news with sarcastic glee, before officially stating, "As game makers, this platform change doesn't affect our strategy - it reinforces that we must continue to focus on building innovative, compelling and well-designed motion experiences to motivate consumers to buy our games."
'Dance Central' returns to Xbox as a download-only game
Kinect may no longer be a mandatory part of the Xbox One experience, but there could still be an incentive to pick one up: Harmonix has just used Microsoft's E3 keynote to unveil Dance Central Spotlight, a revival of its long-serving rhythm game series. Apart from delivering the visual upgrades you'd expect with a new generation of hardware, the title promises more dance routines, a voice-triggered "practice that" mode and an expanded fitness mode that will give you a proper workout. While more details of the game mechanics have yet to come, Spotlight will be a download-only release when it arrives on the Xbox One in September.
Dance Central Spotlight shakes it on Xbox One in September
Dance Central Spotlight is on its way to Xbox One in September as a download-only game, Harmonix announced during Microsoft's E3 press conference. Spotlight is the latest Kinect-controlled grooving and shaking game in Harmonix's Dance Central series, and it features new routines and a fitness mode. Dance Central relies on the Kinect for full-body motion tracking, as does Harmonix's coming Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved. Microsoft announced it would start selling Xbox One without Kinect for $100 cheaper in June, a strategy that seemed to take Harmonix by surprise.
Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved debuts on Xbox this October
Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved will bring its imaginative sound sorcery to the Xbox One and Xbox 360 on October 21. Developed by Rock Band creator Harmonix, Disney Fantasia explores the vivid imagery and music of Disney's symphonic film, but with a modern spin and a conductor-like wave of the arm in front of Kinect. As part of its release date announcement, Harmonix is showing off another one of Fantasia's hub environments, through which new songs can be discovered and brought into the world. "The Neighborhood" is a surreal glimpse at a 1980s New York, with a pastel sky bursting behind skyscrapers. As you poke around the city and complete songs, such as MIA's "Galang" and "The Real Me" by The Who, billboards and graffiti creatures come to life. And if you look in the right place, you can teach some cool vegetables how to be street performers. For more on Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved, head past the break to see the newest batch songs and footage of what it's like playing the game.
Harmonix lays off 37 staff
Harmonix announced that it is undergoing an organizational restructure, resulting in the loss of 37 full-time positions. The news comes just one week after the developer successfully raised $844,127 on Kickstarter to create a successor to its 2002 cult favorite PS2 music game, Amplitude. "Harmonix is in the process of restructuring our organization to bring it into alignment with our current and future product development plans," a Harmonix spokesperson told Joystiq. "Unfortunately, this means making the difficult decision to reduce the number of full-time staff." The layoffs will not reportedly affect any of the games Harmonix currently has in production, namely Amplitude and Fantasia: Music Evolved as well as ongoing support of Record Run. Part of the company's restructure will result in studio head and CEO Alex Rigopulos stepping into the role of Chief Creative Officer while Steve Janiak will become CEO. Janiak was previously the head of Harmonix's publishing and business operations division. "We sincerely appreciate the work of each and every one of these employees. Harmonix is working to ensure that those affected are well taken care of as we make this change," the spokesperson added. The layoffs are said to be unrelated to Microsoft's recent decision to unbundle the Xbox One from the Kinect. Harmonix's most recent franchise, Dance Central, is dependent on the device. [Image: Harmonix]
Amplitude: A funding freak
Harmonix's Kickstarter project to fund a successor to its 2002 cult favorite PS2 music game Amplitude will be retold time and time again as a glimmering example of success on the platform. After all, the project had all the good stuff we like to talk about: A likeable group of developers, a classic fan-favorite series and a sudden resurgence after its campaign seemed desperately bleak. What's lost in the story is that the project shouldn't have succeeded; it's the anomaly that broke the math of Kickstarter. After the project launched May 5 and earned $170,000 in two days, Harmonix struggled to pass the $250,000 mark ten days later, leaving it with less than half its campaign time to earn over two thirds of its lofty $775,000 goal. And it did just that, surpassing the goal last Thursday and netting a total of $844,127 when all was said and done. It was easy to get caught up in the drama as big names like Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson and Insomniac CEO Ted Price issued calls to action to back Amplitude and the project gathered speed, supporters frantic in their enthusiasm for its success. While the community-backed Amplitude project might inspire others to seek big paydays on the funding platform, it's more or less a red herring. Dearest project creators: You are not Harmonix, and last week's cries to join the funding party weren't the only anomaly on Kickstarter. Amplitude is a freak.
