The Kinect dance title is returning for a third year in a row.
Dance Central 3 was presented at the Microsoft E3 Media Briefing with Usher doing a mini concert for the crowd. After the lights dimmed and the dancers returned backstage, we got some details about the game in the form of a press release and trailer. Most importantly, the Kinect dance title will be released this fall.
During the Microsoft press conference, Harmonix blew the top off of the follow-up to the best selling game for Kinect.
Dance Central 2 was announced today by Harmonix during the Microsoft press briefing. The game is set to offer a variety of new content and features, like the ability to perform simultaneously with another player via drop-in/drop-out multiplayer. Players will have access to over 100 songs later this year when the game launches exclusively on the Xbox 360.
Jason analyzes the recent sale of Harmonix, and what it means for the future of rhythm game sales.
A few months ago, Viacom sold off rhythm game developer Harmonix for a reported amount of fifty dollars. The most shocking aspect of this trade is that Viacom originally bought Harmonix for $175 million. Apparently the trade gives Viacom about $150 million in tax benefits, which is quite a hefty number, itself, but still, it seems like this is a major failure on Viacom's part, which reflects as a failure on the part of Harmonix, itself. A little while later, Activision reported that they will not publish a new Guitar Hero or DJ Hero game in 2011 after disappointing sales of the previous entry, simultaneously halting future DLC for the two franchises. The once-popular music gaming genre appears to have come to a screeching halt after oversaturation and the companies' failure to understand the market.
Expect to see songs from N.E.R.D., Fergie, and Snow.
Harmonix has revealed that a trio of new songs will be available on Xbox Live for Dance Central beginning tomorrow. Each song will cost 240 Microsoft Points ($3).
Nate and Stanton talk Portal 2, Rock Band's top songs, PSN Security and Dragon Ball Z. Nate also mangles metaphors and analogies while Stanton has an Epiphany.
Nate and Stanton hold the fort down this week. First on the agenda is a conversation about Portal 2 and the 'Potato Sack'. Indie developers were given unprecedented full use of Valve IP that will hopefully set a standard for future projects across the industry.
The guitar/band music genre has seen better days. Update: No new GH DLC beyond February.
Earlier this week, Harmonix reported they was undergoing layoffs of 12-15% of their approximately 240-person staff in order to restructure themselves to fit current projects underway. The move follows the sale of Harmonix to Columbus Nova, but there was no word of whether the layoffs were influenced by the music-gaming studio's new owners.
Reports have emerged that the company was sold on the cheap, though debt was also transferred in Columbus Nova's acquisition.
In the month following Rock Band developer Harmonix's sale from Viacom to Columbus Nova, more details of the purchase have been released to the public. Harmonix was sold for $49.99, but along with the transfer of ownership of the developer came transfer of ownership of debt and costly assets. These costs include music licenses and the warehouse space unsold games and instruments take.
Harmonix has officially left the Guitar Hero series in the dust.
Harmonix continues to impress with their latest mainline entry of the Rock Band series. Rather than revolutionizing the genre through complete and total change, they have managed to keep the same general structure while adding the brand new Pro mode that brings players closer than ever to truly playing the instrument they are emulating. As a matter of fact, if players choose to take on the Expert variant of Pro mode, they will actually be truly playing the exact notes that comprise the song. Couple this with keyboard support and an eclectic set list and you have the best rhythm game available on the market.
