Rock Band creator Harmonix Music Systems said that Lineage creator NCSoft will publish its next game as part of a strategic partnership. The companies didn’t say what game that will be and noted it is still in “extremely early stages of development” for the PC and consoles. More details will come later. But while NCSoft specializes in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), it looks like this one will go beyond that category. It is one more sign of increasing U.S.-Asian collaboration the games business. “This partnership is representative of NCSoft’s ambition to reach beyond the PC and mobile MMORPG space with new and innovative titles,” said Songyee Yoon, president of NCSoft, in a statement. “Harmonix’s decades of expertise at the intersection of music licensing and video game development are second to none, and we can’t wait to introduce their upcoming project to the world.” Harmonix has created a wide … [Read more...] about NCSoft will publish Harmonix’s next game across multiple platforms
Harmonix
Harmonix is bringing back Rock Band Network in Rock Band 4
Harmonix during a recent livestream on Twitch announced plans to bring back Rock Band Network in Rock Band 4. The Rock Band Network arrived in 2010 during the height of the rhythm video game craze. It was essentially a peer-reviewed platform in which content creators could upload and sell their own music to gamers and get a cut of the revenue. The platform allowed Harmonix to continue to grow its ecosystem of tracks without having to massively scale up development resources and was much faster than if Harmonix had to do all the work itself. Support for the network was scaled back in 2013 and by the following year, it shut down completely as Harmonix shifted focus to other projects. The return of the Rock Band Network isn’t without a bit of controversy, however, as purchases made on older systems won’t carry over to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. This, according to Harmonix, was a necessity due to royalty agreements and whatnot. Also worth noting is the fact that Harmonix … [Read more...] about Harmonix is bringing back Rock Band Network in Rock Band 4
Harmonix is reviving Rock Band Network in ‘Rock Band 4’
Now the network will reopen its doors inside Rock Band 4 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (crowdfunding for a PC version never materialized) however, there is some bad news for fans still sticking with the games -- apparently due to royalty agreements, purchases made on older systems won't carry over. Harmonix is apparently prioritizing songs that had been the most popular before on RBN, but it is still taking requests via an online form. … [Read more...] about Harmonix is reviving Rock Band Network in ‘Rock Band 4’
Viacom may owe $383 million to Harmonix shareholders
Viacom Inc. may owe $383 million to former shareholders of Cambridge-based developer Harmonix Music Systems, best-known for the Rock Band series. There are apparently a handful of legal battles going on between Viacom and shareholders over their $175 million acquisition of the developer back in 2006. An arbitration team ruled Dec. 19 that Viacom still owes money to shareholders based on sales targets which were met in both 2007 and 2008. The $383 million stems from the legal dispute over those unpaid bonuses for sales targets. However, Viacom filed suit in the Delaware court in hopes of overturning the ruling. According to reports, Viacom had paid $150 million in bonuses previously, but ended up suing shareholders for a refund saying they had overpaid. The arbitration ruling said that the game had sold so well that the contract would call for a much higher payout anyway. Currently, Harmonix owns their IPs, Rock Band and Dance Central. About a year ago, Viacom sold off Harmonix, letting … [Read more...] about Viacom may owe $383 million to Harmonix shareholders
Why the Apple TV won’t revolutionize gaming
By the time Apple began its event on Wednesday, we already knew most of the basics: leaks had soured the surprise of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, the iPad Pro, and certainly the long-awaited Apple TV refresh. However, one pre-show rumor didn’t come true, which left some people disappointed: The new set-top box isn’t a gaming powerhouse. It plays games, certainly. The addition of the App Store means that the new Apple TV is designed to run big-screen games, with Apple demoing a multiplayer version of Crossy Road, a new Rayman, and a rhythmic, family-oriented sports game from Rock Band maker Harmonix. And with the touchpad remote, iOS devices, gamepads, and other peripherals all supported, there’s some versatility to what developers can do with it. But the idea that the Apple TV could challenge the Xbox One or PlayStation 4 in any serious way seemed off-base, and Apple’s brief presentation didn’t inspire belief that gaming will be a tentpole focus for the … [Read more...] about Why the Apple TV won’t revolutionize gaming