Harmonix

Game Music

Holiday Update for Harmonix Music Game, Beat Sports

December 18, 2015 | Brenna Wilkes | Comments Off on Holiday Update for Harmonix Music Game, Beat Sports Share this

If you’re an owner of an Apple TV, then maybe you’ve already bought and played through Harmonix music game Beat Sports. Beat Sports is a collection of high-score-fueled, music-infused mini-games drawing from familiar sports like tennis, volleyball and golf. It features adorable characters from across the cosmos and original tracks composed by Harmonix and PaRappa the Rapper creator Masaya Matsuura.

A new holiday update was just released for the game, featuring nine new levels within three new mini-games and new songs for each level, with a bonus song available for multiplayer mini-game “Buddy Ball”.

You can listen to some of Matsuura’s previous music from the game to get an idea of what to expect from these new holiday tunes.

Beat Sports is available exclusively for Apple TV on the App Store for $9.99 with no in-app purchases.
Events, Featured

PAX East Preview: Amplitude

March 30, 2015 | Michael Hoffmann | Comments Off on PAX East Preview: Amplitude Share this PAX East Preview: Amplitude

Our second game preview from PAX East is a new game being developed by Harmonix. Back in May of 2014, the group successfully received backing on their Kickstarter for the game Amplitude. The project received over $800,000, just making past their initial funding goal. Since then the Hamonix team has been working on the game and had an early alpha build available to try out at this year’s PAX East and GDC.

Amplitude is a rhythm action game based off the developer’s earlier titles like FreQuency and the PS2 version of Amplitude. The last Amplitude game was released back in 2003, over a decade ago. This new game is a remake/reboot of the original and hopes to bring the fun of Amplitude to a new generation of consoles and players. (more…)
Featured, Software

PAX East Preview: Fantasia Music Evolved

April 30, 2014 | Michael Hoffmann | Comments Off on PAX East Preview: Fantasia Music Evolved Share this

For our last PAX East 2014 preview, we are taking a look at Harmonix’s upcoming game Fantasia Music Evolved. While technically this preview was offered off site from the main convention, it was something intended for PAX East attendees and press. This special event was held at the restaurant Trade just a short walk from the main convention and was hosted by Harmonix, Destructoid, and ASTRO Gaming. The event was a chance to showcase the game’s multi-player mode and to announce some of the new pieces being added to the game. Harmonix is a company known for developing the first few Guitar Hero games, Rock Band, and Dance Central. It makes sense that if you wanted to do a music game based off of Disney’s Fantasia, this is probably the group that you want.

Fantasia is a movie that most people are aware of, even if they haven’t seen it. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the film, Fantasia was a film released in 1940 by Walt Disney Productions. The movie is a collection eight animated segments that are artistic interpretations of eight different pieces of classical music. Each segment featured different types of animation and presentations. Some segments like Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor” (in the video below) are more abstract, with animation slowly being introduced and eventually taking over the screen.

Others like Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 6 ‘Pastoral'” featured animation with some distinct characters whose actions matched the mood and structure of the music. Finally, other segments featured more fully realized plots that matched the music, such as the well known “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” segment. Fantasia, simply put, is an artistic masterpiece. A beautiful combination of animation and classical music that is considered by many, including myself, to be one of the greatest films that Disney ever created. A collection of eight pieces of animation, inspired by some of the greatest music ever written. So how did Harmonix approach making a game inspired by this movie? Read on to find out. (more…)
Game Music

Op Ed on Harmonix’s Fantasia: Music Evolved

August 2, 2013 | Richard McDonald | Comments Off on Op Ed on Harmonix’s Fantasia: Music Evolved Share this

Harmonix Studios, of Rock Band and Dance Central fame, have demoed Fantasia: Music Evolved, a new music game at E3 based on the Fantasia franchise. With an apparent shift away from the Rock Band ‘plastic instruments’ approach, the game follows your body’s movements, more like Dance Central but without actually dancing. From the video interview above, created by the excellent Game Trailers website, you appear to conduct the music with hand gestures and broad body movements, almost like interpretive dance, by using the Xbox One kinect. This is a refreshing change for me as I have no interest in ‘plucking’ away at a fake guitar, and I can’t dance.

During the initial unveiling of the game a few weeks back, I was worried by the announcement that the game would include pop and rock music. As a fan of the original Fantasia film I was initially appalled at this seemingly blatant attempt to pander to the majority, while missing out on an opportunity to innovate and push the genre in new audiences. After watching the video from Game Trailers, I now feel that the studio has successfully managed to please everyone while at the same time draw in new players.

(Editor’s note: head to Richard’s blog for the full article.)
Game Music, Reviews

The More You Give, The More You Get: Rock Band 3 (Review)

November 19, 2010 | Patrick Gann | 2 Comments Share this

My wife has a couple of little rhymes she uses to instill values in our children. One of my favorites, and simultaneously the one that is hardest for me to cope with, is “You get what you get, and you don’t get upset.” This especially applies when looking at the price tag for the new Rock Band 3, complete with all its fancy accessories and thousands of downloadable tracks. I’m a kid in a candy store, but I got no money.

The Rock Band franchise is now host to well over 2000 songs, all of which contain multiple instrument tracks (guitar, bass, vocal, drums). And while Rock Band 3 allows you to play any song from that old collection, they will indeed feel “old” compared to the new additions for Rock Band 3.

You already know what they are if you’ve been paying any attention: namely, the keyboards, the three-part vocal harmonies (first introduced in The Beatles: Rock Band), and the “pro mode” instruments that take the game to a whole new and very educational/instructional level. While the game will continue to serve the casual market, it seems that the restless hardcore needed a new, “realistic” challenge. Just how close will they get? Well, that depends on how much money you have.

Learn more in our detailed review, along with our “professional” opinion on how to best enjoy this game, after the jump. (more…)
Game Music

Green Day: Rock Band: More of the Same Can be Good!

October 9, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

We’ve talked about Rock Band and other rhythm games a lot here on OSV. With games in this genre being pretty similar across the board, it’s kind of hard to string out an in-depth review each time a new game is released, but I thought it would be worth hitting the highlights on Green Day: Rock Band, Harmonix’s second band-specific Rock Band experience.

You already know if you like rhythm games. Not a whole lot has changed recently, so the deciding factor as to whether or not you’re interested in one of these titles is generally going to be the music selection. With this game focusing solely on Green Day, you’ll probably like it if you like the band, and you’ll probably want to pass if you don’t.

I guess that’s a simple enough review, but let’s jump into some of the specifics after the jump. (more…)
Game Music

E3 2010: Rock Band 3 Is The Real Thing

June 21, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this E3 2010: Rock Band 3 Is The Real Thing

While Rock Band 3 announcements were hitting our mail boxes back home as E3 started, we unfortunately didn’t get to check out the title until the very end of the show. The reason that this is unfortunate is because after our on-stage demonstration from the Harmonix team ended, the floor closed down and we were unable to get our hands on the game. We do, however, have a summary of many of the new features in the game that has me actually excited for a rhythm game again, which hasn’t happened in some time.

Want to know what’s new in Rock Band 3 and why you should care? Join us after the jump. (more…)