Harmonix Music Systems (Harmonix for short) is a video game development company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the United States. They are known in the industry for their acclaimed line of music video games and have won numerous awards for their titles. Image File history File links Harmonix-logo. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... An entrepreneur (a loanword from French introduced and first defined by the Irish economist Richard Cantillon) is a person who operates a new enterprise or venture and assumes some accountability for the inherent risks. ... Alex Rigopulos is the CEO of Harmonix Music Systems, a company he founded with Eran Egozy in 1995. ... Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts Coordinates: , Country State County Middlesex Settled 1630 Incorporated 1636 Government  - Type Mayor-City Council  - Mayor Kenneth Reeves (D) Area  - City  7. ... Computer and video games redirects here. ... Viacom (NYSE: VIA) (NYSE: VIAb) is an American media conglomerate with various worldwide interests in cable and satellite television networks (MTV Networks and BET), and movie production and distribution (the Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks movie studios). ... For the band, see Big Brother and the Holding Company. ... MTV Networks is a division of media conglomerate Viacom that oversees the operation of many TV network and Internet brands, including the first MTV channel. ... A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML... Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts Coordinates: , Country State County Middlesex Settled 1630 Incorporated 1636 Government  - Type Mayor-City Council  - Mayor Kenneth Reeves (D) Area  - City  7. ... A music video game, also commonly known as a music game or rhythm game, is a type of video game where the gameplay is oriented almost entirely around the players ability to follow a musical beat and stay with the rhythm of the games soundtrack. ...

History

Harmonix was founded in 1995 by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy who met while attending MIT.^[1] The company was built on the premise that the experience of performing music could become accessible to those who would otherwise have trouble learning a traditional instrument. Alex Rigopulos is the CEO of Harmonix Music Systems, a company he founded with Eran Egozy in 1995. ... “MIT” redirects here. ...

The company's earliest product was The Axe: Titans of Classic Rock on PC CD-ROM. The Axe enabled consumers to easily perform unique instrumental solos by using a PC joystick. Harmonix then designed "CamJam", which performed similar functions, this time using simple body gestures to trigger music sequences.^[1] CamJam was utilized at Disneyworld theme parks.^[2] A personal computer (PC) is a computer whose price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals. ... The CD-ROM (an abbreviation for Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (ROM)) is a non-volatile optical data storage medium using the same physical format as audio compact discs, readable by a computer with a CD-ROM drive. ... For other uses, see Joystick (disambiguation). ... Cinderella Castle is the symbol of the Magic Kingdom. ...

In 1997, the Harmonix team focused on Japan. There, the first music video games were becoming increasingly popular and successful. These games included PaRappa the Rapper, Beatmania, and Dance Dance Revolution; all of which focused on bringing musical experiences to gamers through simple, understandable interfaces commonly found in games. It was these games that inspired Harmonix to develop its first music video game, FreQuency, which began development in 1999.^[1][3] A music video game, also commonly known as a music game or rhythm game, is a type of video game where the gameplay is oriented almost entirely around the players ability to follow a musical beat and stay with the rhythm of the games soundtrack. ... PaRappa the Rapper (Japanese: パラッパラッパー, 1996), also known as PaRappaRappa, and PaRappa the Rappa is a rhythm video game for the Sony PlayStation created by Masaya Matsuura (the former leader of the Japanese Hyper Pop Unit PSY S) and his NanaOn-Sha company. ... For the Playstation 2 North America beatmania release, based on beatmania IIDX, see beatmania (North America). ... Dance Dance Revolution, a. ... For other uses, see Frequency (disambiguation). ...

To develop FreQuency, Rigopulos and Egozy formed a larger team, finding many of their new employees to be musicians.^[3] Featuring songs by a number of underground electronica artists, FreQuency allowed players to perform and remix a variety of music. The game was backed by SCEA Vice President of Product Development, Shuhei Yoshida. Released in 2001 on the PlayStation 2, FreQuency was critically acclaimed and won numerous awards,^[4] though it failed to become a mainstream success. Harmonix developed the a sequel to FreQuency, Amplitude, released in 2003. Several changes were made from its predecessor to broaden the game's appeal, from gameplay tweaks to a more mainstream soundtrack. And again, Amplitude achieved awards, critical praise,^[5] and a small cult following, but it was not a financial hit.^[1] Electronica refers to a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; but unlike electronic dance music, is not specifically focused on the dance floor. ... Sony Computer Entertainment, Incorporated ) (SCEI) is a Japanese video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, mostly in video game consoles and is a full subsidiary of Sony Corporation that was established on November 16, 1993 in Tokyo, Japan. ... PS2 redirects here. ... Amplitude is a 2003 PlayStation 2 musical video game. ...

After Amplitude, Harmonix teamed up with Konami to create the Karaoke Revolution franchise. Konami, known for their Bemani line of music games, published the Karaoke Revolution titles, of which Harmonix developed and released three "volumes" between 2003 and 2004. Konami Corporation ) (TYO: 9766 NYSE: KNM SGX: K20) is a leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines and video games. ... Karaoke Revolution, and its sequels Karaoke Revolution Volume 2 , Karaoke Revolution Volume 3 , Karaoke Revolution Party, CMT Presents: Karaoke Revolution Country and Karaoke Revolution presents American Idol are video games for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Xbox, developed by Harmonix and Blitz Games and published by Konami in its... Bemani (ビーマニ, biimani) is Konamis music video game division. ...

Also in 2004, Sony Computer Entertainment released the Harmonix project EyeToy: AntiGrav. A departure from music games, the title used the PlayStation 2 EyeToy camera peripheral to enable one's body to perform as a controller for a futuristic extreme sports game. Eye Toy : AntiGrav is a hoverboard game by Sony, released in early November 2004. ... The EyeToy is a color digital camera device, similar to a webcam, for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable. ...

In 2005, publisher RedOctane released the Harmonix-developed game Guitar Hero. The game features similar gameplay elements to FreQuency and Amplitude, in which the goal is for the player to hit color-coded buttons to the rhythm of passing button sequences, except that it utilizes a five-button guitar-shaped controller, designed uniquely for the game. Similar to Konami's peripheral-touting Bemani games, Guitar Hero became largely successful, both critically and commercially, resulting in the well-received 2006 sequel Guitar Hero II, also developed by Harmonix. RedOctane is an electronic entertainment company perhaps best known for their efforts in publishing the Guitar Hero series. ... This article is about the 2005 video game. ... Guitar Hero II is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane. ...

In September 2006, MTV Networks announced that it was acquiring Harmonix on behalf of MTV.^[6] Harmonix's last Guitar Hero game for RedOctane, Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s, was released in July 2007. MTV Networks is a division of media conglomerate Viacom that oversees the operation of many TV network and Internet brands, including the first MTV channel. ... Guitar Hero logo. ...

In its first project announced as part of MTV, Harmonix expanded upon the design of Guitar Hero with the game Rock Band, which incorporates three different peripherals: guitar/bass, microphone, and drums. Rock Band was first released in November 2007; a beatmatching iPod game entitled Phase was released the same month.^[7] Rock Band is an upcoming music video game under development by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games, and to be distributed by Electronic Arts Partners scheduled for a North American release during the 2007 holiday season. ... A 5th generation iPod with the tetris game. ... Phase is a music-themed iPod game created by Harmonix exclusively for the iPod click wheel interface. ...

Employee bands

Due to the nature of titles developed by Harmonix, a large percentage of staff members are well-known in the Boston and US music scene. These include:

• Kasson Crooker and Sean Roche, members of the band Freezepop.
• Jason Kendall, lead singer of the band The Amazing Crowns.
• Daniel Sussman, member of The Acro-Brats.
• Eric Brosius, Terri Brosius and Greg LoPiccolo, former members of Tribe.
• Bryn Bennett, co-founder and lead guitarist in Bang Camaro
• Keith Smith, singer/ guitarist for Anarchy Club., and former singer for C60.
• Dan Schmidt, vocals and guitar in Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives.
• Helen McWilliams, Elena Siegman and 'Leanne', members of Vagiant.
• Izzy "Sparks" Maxwell, member of Count Zero and Death of the Cool.
• Naoko Takamoto, also known as Plural and a member of That Handsome Devil.
• Ryan Lesser, Jason Kendall, Brian Gibson and Paul Lyons, members of Megasus.
• Brian Gibson of Lightning Bolt and Megasus.
• Phil Beaudreau and Johannes "Rash" Raasina, members of the band Shaimus.
• Ryan Lesser, Dare Matheson, Matt Gilpin, and Jason Warburg, members of The Gert Jonnys.
• Dan Teasdale, Chris Foster, and Rob Kay, members of Speck.
• Pete Maguire, is a member of inter:sect.
• Geoff Pitsch, also known as Father Octopus.
• Scott Sinclair, member of the Model Sons.
• John Drake, Jon Carter and Matt Boch, members of The Blanks.
• Kurt Davis, frontman for The Konks

Kasson Crooker is the artist behind Symbion Project, DJ HMX, Komputer Kontroller, and Cosmonaut Zero. ... Freezepop is an indie synthpop/New Wave band composed of Liz Enthusiasm, the Duke of Pannekoeken (originally the Duke of Candied Apples, as well as the Duke of Belgian Waffles, both pseudonyms of Kasson Crooker), and the Other Sean T. Drinkwater (who claims to be a clone of the original... Amazing Crowns (formerly Amazing Royal Crowns) is a punkabilly duo that began in Providence, Rhode Island in the early 1990s. ... Eric Brosius is a former employee of Looking Glass Studios, like his wife Terri. ... Along with her husband Eric, Terri is a former employee of Looking Glass Studios. ... Tribe band members. ... Bang Camaro is a heavy metal band from Boston, Massachusetts founded by guitarists Bryn Bennett and Alex Necochea and composed of members of various indie rock bands from around the area. ... Anarchy Club is a heavy rock / electronica duo from Boston. ... Dan Schmidt is a computer/video game developer. ... Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives is a rock-and-roll band based in Boston, Massachusetts. ... Count Zero is a Boston-based rock band. ... // Megasus is a Doom Metal band formed in Providence, Rhode Island in 2006. ... Lightning Bolt is a noise rock duo from Providence, Rhode Island, presently composed of Brian Chippendale and Brian Gibson. ...

Gameography

• FreQuency (2001)
• Amplitude (2003)
• Karaoke Revolution (2003)
• Karaoke Revolution Vol. 2 (2004)
• Karaoke Revolution Vol. 3 (2004)
• EyeToy: AntiGrav (2004)
• Karaoke Revolution Party (2005)
• Guitar Hero (2005)
• CMT Presents: Karaoke Revolution Country (2006)
• Guitar Hero II (2006)
• Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s (2007)
• Phase (2007)
• Rock Band (2007)

For other uses, see Frequency (disambiguation). ... Amplitude is a 2003 PlayStation 2 musical video game. ... Karaoke Revolution, and its sequels Karaoke Revolution Volume 2 , Karaoke Revolution Volume 3 , Karaoke Revolution Party, CMT Presents: Karaoke Revolution Country and Karaoke Revolution presents American Idol are video games for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Xbox, developed by Harmonix and Blitz Games and published by Konami in its... Karaoke Revolution, and its sequels Karaoke Revolution Volume 2 , Karaoke Revolution Volume 3 , Karaoke Revolution Party, CMT Presents: Karaoke Revolution Country and Karaoke Revolution presents American Idol are video games for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Xbox, developed by Harmonix and Blitz Games and published by Konami in its... Karaoke Revolution, and its sequels Karaoke Revolution Volume 2 , Karaoke Revolution Volume 3 , Karaoke Revolution Party, CMT Presents: Karaoke Revolution Country and Karaoke Revolution presents American Idol are video games for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Xbox, developed by Harmonix and Blitz Games and published by Konami in its... Eye Toy : AntiGrav is a hoverboard game by Sony, released in early November 2004. ... Karaoke Revolution, and its sequels Karaoke Revolution Volume 2 , Karaoke Revolution Volume 3 , Karaoke Revolution Party, CMT Presents: Karaoke Revolution Country and Karaoke Revolution presents American Idol are video games for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Xbox, developed by Harmonix and Blitz Games and published by Konami in its... This article is about the 2005 video game. ... Karaoke Revolution, and its sequels Karaoke Revolution Volume 2 , Karaoke Revolution Volume 3 , Karaoke Revolution Party, CMT Presents: Karaoke Revolution Country and Karaoke Revolution presents American Idol are video games for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Xbox, developed by Harmonix and Blitz Games and published by Konami in its... Guitar Hero II is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane. ... Phase is a music-themed iPod game created by Harmonix exclusively for the iPod click wheel interface. ... Rock Band is an upcoming music video game under development by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games, and to be distributed by Electronic Arts Partners scheduled for a North American release during the 2007 holiday season. ...

References

GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ...

External links

• Harmonix website
• Games people play, Harmonix profile by Camille Dodero, May 2005