Harmonix to 're-energize' its franchises after The Beatles: Rock Band

by Ben Gilbert on Sep 2nd 2009 5:15PM

Sure, The Beatles: Rock Band developer Harmonix has been busy working on next week's big release for some time now, but did you know it's also working on "re-energizing" its "core franchises?" Harmonix PR overlord John Drake told CVG as much, saying that while the studio is ready to refocus on its existing portfolio, it's been busy making sure it got The Beatles game 100 percent right. "We were terrified while making the game, hoping we don't make [Apple Corps] mad at any point -- they're really nice and easy to work with, but this is The Beatles, you can't afford to mess this up."

Considering the longtime rhythm game developer more or less re-energized its Amplitude and Frequency franchises with Rock Band Unplugged, we're taking a wild stab in the dark here when we suggest Drake's likely talking about Rock Band 3. And does "re-energizing" in this case mean "adding Project Natal functionality?" We're not sure yet, but we've got our fingers as uncrossed as possible, just in case.

Source

Tags: amplitude, cvg, ea, ea-partners, Electronic-Arts, frequency, harmonix, john-drake, Microsoft, mtv-games, Nintendo, project-natal, rock-band, rock-band-3, the-beatles, the-beatles-rock-band, Wii, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (72)

Hey, Project Natal functionality won't be TOO bad, if you can use that along with the physical plastic instruments.

Rock Band: Jem and the Holograms...CONFIRMED

That's totally outrageous.

Truly.

Truly this is the age of Rock Band: Jem and the Holograms. Truly.

After Rock Band: The Beatles comes out and then RBN, they can add whatever the hell they like, as long as it adds to the gameplay and not takes anything away.

I like the fact Harmonix realizes it's music first, all of the rest later. Not once did I see them trying to sell RB: The Beatles with "look how great John Lennon looks". All they talked about was getting the feeling right and the songs etc.

What's your point SpyderTaco?

dammit Joystiq, why isn't my avatar Creepy John Lennon anymore?

I blame computer ghosts.

Next week can't get her soon enough.

For real. I've been frantically searching the Houston area for a midnight launch, but it seems like only one Best Buy in the entire city is doing it.

@Spyder Taco:

GH2 =/= GH5.

GH2 was the (next to (if you really want to count GHE:RT80s)) last GH game made by Harmonix. And it truly represents the pinnacle of that brand.

GH5 may be OK (I've yet to play it (I'm on vacation)) but it could never, in a million years, offer even an iota of the expectation (and ensuing joy) that GH2 made good on.

P.S. You can send my Joysticky (y'know, the award statuette I just invented) for Most Parenthetical Expressions In A Single Post to my PO Box.

At this point they should really up the ante and go all out.

5 strumbars, 23 sets of 5 buttons. ah ha ha ha

They should also include a cast and medical kit for when you break your arm trying to play this wacky instrument.

If Hamonix includes "the drum solo of life" and rotating drumkit, my god... I can truly die happy

they need to "borrow" GH5's Party Play and mix and match instruments ASAP.

RB2 + 2 singers with Lips mics = WIN!

They need to take alot of things from GH5.

Without a doubt, they need these:
-Party Play
-Instrument mix and match
-Save/Load Playlists

However, I think they should also add these features as well.
-Additional rewards for perfect performances (GH5 gives you a 6th star which lets you advance faster in career, for example)
-More Stats screen for those who want to know what they missed and where.
-Not going back to the main menu to switch instruments
-Song/Playlist duration on the Song selection screen.
-5 levels of Hyperspeed.

All of those don't require any changes to the note tracks.

However, I STILL wish for Expert + on Rock Band. I can't play Laid to Rest because they only chart the right foot, and it's really complicated when you are playing triplet kicks at half the speed of the chart. No drummer would ever play it that way.

This is just the Rock Band Fan boy in me speaking but World Tour's new features were Rock Band. Even the damn name was. So "borrowing" 3-4 shouldn't be a big deal.

That said I am very torn on this. GH5 is getting decent reviews. Enough that I was to rent it. Even if by some miracle I end up loving the game, I have a hard time supporting the franchise of GH. Yes it's a huge improvement but they've also done so much to discredit the Rhythm based genera in the last year and half that I don't want them in the front seat. I want HMX to be front and center when it comes to these games and not Red Octane who has shown me they are good at adopting trends and rushing them out the door but not good at pacing and solid original ideas.

Torn but I'd really like the crown to be rightfully placed on HMX's head. For some reason I'd be more willing to support GH knowing they'd be in 2nd place.

Rock Band desperately needs a party mode. But I dont think allowing multiple people play the SAME part is a good idea, it ruins to teamwork aspect of the game. What they need is a rhythm guitar and lead guitar as well has lead and backup vocals.

Allowing people to instantly join in on a song while doing a "jukebox" mode that plays songs by itself is the next evolutionary step of the music genre. If RB3 doesnt have it then wtf.

@ Hafkie

For someone I immediately gave up on because of your the previous "GH5 is amazing" comment, that actually seems like a good list of features to be included, either in a patch or RB3. My inner RB fanboy rage would be boiling over if there was not a small bit of truth in your words. I would enjoy it if they impliment---

*grunts* NOOOOO! ARRRRRGGGHH! ROCK BAND IS GOD!

*rips shirt, turns green, smashes keyboard*

If they add support for Guitar Hero drums WITH five-button note tracks and throw in an option for double bass, I will never need to play Guitar Hero again. Come on, Harmonix!

You haven't played GH5, so you are talking out of your ass. It's fucking amazing.

Rock Band MUST (repeat MUST) add the use of "any mix of instruments" functionality like Guitar Hero is doing. I love Rock Band and have downloaded at least 400 songs for it but if the girls can have 3 mics going while I play guitar, then the girls are going to want to play Guitar/Band Hero. (girls love to sing, for better or worse)

3 mic support will be in The Beatles Rock Band.

3 girls = win...

as long as the tracks keep coming! i dont want to play an air guitar with natal!

hopefully re-energize isn't code for "milking this franchise dry".

I will not play 5 world tour was piss poor in my option. My friends and I played WT for about 20 mins then went right back to rock band. It just felt inferior in every way.

I thought World Tour was piss poor too, but my god.... Give GH5 a chance. Atleast rent it. It's really good.

damn comment system.....

you are seriously trying to convince people, aren't you? i'm suspicious of you. very suspicious.

Rock Band: Muse, MAKE IT HAPPEN HARMONIX

That's weird because right now I'm listening to Space Dementia by Muse. But, actually, it shouldn't be weird at all if you have taste in music. Rock Band Muse=WIN!!!

Rock Band: Your Favourite Band!
the game starts by asking you who your favourite artist is.
minutes later, viola! you will have your very own copy of Rock Band: ____!

I have to agree with charlie on this one. Muse isn't that popular in America (I have nothing against them), which is the country these games make the most profit. And yeah, everyone wants a game based on their favorite band. Tell me if some of these would actually work.

GH/RB:KoRn
GH/RB:Disturbed
GH/RB:Guns N' Roses
GH/RB:Dream Theatre
GH/RB:Dragonforce

All of these above may sound nice to a large group of people (except Dragonforce, obviously), but they just wouldn't appeal enough to the general audience to be worth putting in too much effort (see: GH:Aerosmith, excluding the sales figures).

Rock Band: KoRn would be fuckin sweet man

I'd buy it! I haven't bought a rythm game yet. But Muse? Awesome

But of course GH: Muse would be totally lame, uncool, and stupid.

Rock Band: Earth, Wind, & Fire.

Gotta have more funk!

I must admit I was very surprised by GH5. It is such a vast improvement over the most of the other GH games. I've always like RB better, but they really improved everything about it that RB always did best and now with the slick new interface and party mode RB really needs to catch up.

I thought World Tour was piss poor too, but my god.... Give GH5 a chance. Atleast rent it. It's really good. Neversoft really listened to everyone, and it's not just the BIG things they did. They fixed alot of minor issues with the game. The game feels smooth, the animations are fluid, the tracklist has no foreign songs you can't sing the words to (Except for Du Hast, but that was popular over here, so it's fine). The song challenges are quite fun, and they push you to play every instrument.

It's worth your time to atleast rent it. Take my word. I'll Pay Pal you $5 if you come back saying it was as bad as World Tour.

Really, you should just plug a real electric guitar straight into the console and just have it record pitches, if you're gonna do that.

.... I give up. ugh. This was intended for XBL: Burritoclock PSN:Herbie Hat. Not even going to bother reposting it.

Sequel to Frequency and Amplitude please. I has money, I would buy.

Yeah me too, well they like the truckloads of money RB is bringing in. I guess I can't blame them too much.

And my 300+ song Rock Band 2 track list says that you shouldn't be.

I love Rock Band and Guitar Hero both. I'm not going to lie, within 1 hour of playing GH:WT, I put RB 2 back in and used the rest of the day I set aside to play World Tour to complete the Bladder of Steel achievement on Expert Guitar. I drank bottles of Pepsi for free DLC. I hosted 24 hour Rock Band parties over the summer. Granted there was some GH:M and Smash Hits every now and then, but RB was played the most.

But hear me out when I say that GH5 is awesome, okay?

Eh, I don't think so. GH5 is an improvement over GH:WT, that's for sure, but I still get much more fun from Rock Band. I know it's kind of dumb, but Rock Band has the feel perfect, even if there's a few things I like about GH. The GH series feels like pressing buttons alongside a CD. Rock Band feels like what you're doing is affecting the music.

(And yes I realize both games are about pressing buttons on a plastic instrument.)

@Joe

I'd love it if I could get a tour based off my DLC. Use it's built in difficulty settings and genera settings to populate a new tour mode for me. Maybe some new Venues or something. Some to keep me buy DLC till RB3 comes out.

you do know it's spelled "genre" right?

Can't we just have some Radiohead songs?

Good to see I can agree with some people on Joystiq when it comes to music.

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Harmonix to 're-energize' its franchises after The Beatles: Rock Band

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