Edge: For Prince – or indeed the artist formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince – it took a silly change of name, some even sillier face paint and some good old courtroom drama to break free from his label. For band game pioneer Harmonix, Viacom saved it the effort. Announcing its exit from console gaming following a downturn in the music game business, the MTV owner put the studio up for sale before shuttering its entire MTV Games division.
Now owned by investment firm Columbus Nova, Harmonix finds itself back in the indie section with much to consider. The demise of Activision’s Guitar Hero, the future of Kinect hit Dance Central, the profitability of Rock Band and a legal spat between Viacom and its former shareholders. In his only European interview on the matter, CEO Alex Rigopulos sets the stage.
IGN:"Harmonix Music Systems Chief Creative Officer and co-founder Alex Rigopulos is in a good mood when he answers my phone call. And despite the unseasonably terrible winter he’s stuck in the middle of in his studio’s Boston suburb of Cambridge, he has every reason to be jovial – it’s just over a week before Rigopulos and his team will unveil Rock Band 4 to the world, returning the beloved music game series to the stage for the first time in five years"
Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos has reaffirmed the studio's dedication to the Rock Band and Dance Central franchises, while hinting at projects beyond the music genre.
Speaking to Destructoid, Rigopulos confirmed that Kinect launch title Dance Central had out-sold the critically acclaimed Rock Band 3.
"It's one of the top-selling titles for the Kinect," he said, "and the Kinect is one of the most successful products in the entire videogame industry right now. So we're thrilled with how Dance Central has performed out of the gate."
Dominic Sacco sat down with CEO Alex Rigopulos to talk about competing with Guitar Hero
When you step into Harmonix’s Cambridge, Massachusetts offices, it’s immediately clear this is no ordinary developer. The staff look more like rock star musicians than developers. The shelves lining the lobby strain with the weight of numerous gaming awards, too many to count or list here.
Like the music game developer itself, the city it resides in oozes creativity. Boston is home to Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – two of the most respected educational facilities in the world, the latter of which is where Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos picked up the skills that would later inspire Guitar Hero and Rock Band.
