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Montreal Rocks!

By Pierre Boudreau

Upon entering the SAT on the evening of January 30th, 2008, one could not help but notice the music in the air. But this was not mere background ambience: tonight, it was taking center stage. The lounge, usually reserved for boozin’ and schmoozin’, had been transformed into the Rock Band Room, with quartet after quartet lining up for their five minutes of fame. Beyond the bar, an impromptu auditorium had been set up where Guitar Hero hopefuls filled the space with the sounds of their furious fingering in preparation for a showdown of rocktastic proportions.

The event was the inspired notion of our very own Godfather of Soul, Chris Crowell, who asked himself, Why not host a night where members of the gaming community actually came together to play? And with the (relatively) recent releases of Rock Band and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, that notion became a plan and that plan acquired a theme. The chapter scored an appearance by Rob Kay, the lead designer of Rock Band, who endowed the night with some serious street cred and some fabulous parting gifts.

Rob Kay has long been a driving force behind Harmonix and the Guitar Hero series. A drummer since the tender age of eight, Rob never abandoned his basement-born rock ‘n roll dreams. Instead, he has striven like a modern-day Prometheus to bring the gift of rock-godhood to us mere mortals.

On this night, Rob sat down with Jason Della Rocca in what was more of a Q&A jam session rather than a formal interview:

So, how about some back-story on Harmonix?

Harmonix was started 12 years ago by two MIT grads [Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy] who wanted to make the experience of musical performance accessible to the general public through technology. Although the company enjoyed a fair bit of critical praise with projects like “Frequency” (2001) and some commercial success with “Karaoke Revolution” (2003), it was the release of “Guitar Hero” (2005) that really struck a chord in the popular psyche. In 2006, Harmonix was acquired by MTV who wisely maintained an arms-length distance with the design team. They followed up with a successful sequel, but by the time the call came for Guitar Hero III, Harmonix was happy to pass the torch to Activision. The Harmonix team was already gearing up (literally) the next logical leap: “Rock Band” (2007).

What’s your player base?

The original GH alone has sold roughly 1.5 million copies. It covers a broad demographic of gamers and music fans, though the music plays a more significant role than the actual gameplay.

Do games like GH and RB have much international appeal?

The game has done well in North American and Europe but has not scored any serious Asian penetration.

What were technical challenges of Game Design?

The discipline on the design side consisted largely of not getting carried away with extra features and sticking to the key to the game’s success: the rock god fantasy effect.

(And then the audience joined the chorus...)

Both GH and KR consist largely of hitting notes scrolling down a screen. What can we expect for the next level of gameplay?

Harmonix is striving to introduce more musical creativity into future projects.

What were the significant differences in musical choices from GH I to III?

Each incarnation of the game was marketed as a rock ‘n roll experience and essential stuck with that genre. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Is Harmonix afraid of the emergence of a “killer app” that would allow players import any MP3, create a set list and essentially create their own version of GH?

Not at all. The technical challenges involved in synching songs with the game mechanic would limit any such widespread hacking. Plus, Harmonix is always looking to create opportunity for more musical creativity.

Any juicy rock star stories?

No. The marketing and PR got to press flesh with the rock stars while the designers toiled away behind the scene.

Is there any interest in exploring hip hop or other musical genres?

Lack of time has necessarily restricted the scope in terms of musical styles; but if anyone came out with another flavour, the gang at Harmonix would love a taste.

What were the musical selection priorities for RB?

Two principle considerations for each song: 1) It must rock. 2) It should consist of a “complete band representation”.

What’s the skinny on iteration for RB?

Since the guitar and vocal elements had already been thoroughly worked out on GH and KR, the biggest challenge was the drum mechanic. The design team bought a drum kit, took it apart and built their gameplay prototype. After some serious hands-on testing (most of the designers at Harmonix are active musicians), a mechanic emerged that fell somewhere between actual drumming and a playable percussive element.

How does Harmonix feel about product placement within their games?

If companies who can help enhance the rock ‘n roll fantasy (i.e. Fender, Gibson) want to come on board, the more the merrier.

Any issues (legal or otherwise) with Konami over the development/publishing of similar musical games?

No. Harmonix has worked closely with Konami on KR and as maintained a good relationship since that time.

As the questions wound down, the game-guitarists geared up. Virtual virtuosos paired-up and faced-off for a shot at some glory (as well as the grand prize of an Xbox 360 and copies of RB and GH III: LoR). For the next hour, the room was charged with sizzling sequences as every challenger with an axe to grind battled their way towards rock supremacy. In the end, it came down to A2M’s JF Gauthier and then-unknown contender, Vincent Messier. Tensions rose as the finalists each took a round in the last two-out-of-three which was as much about audience appreciation as musical mastery. The third and decisive number, to further drive the point home, was Metallica’s One. When the smoke cleared, Vincent Messier had claimed the crown.

At the risk of overstating the point: the night rocked.

Thank you Rob, thank you Chris, and above all, thank you ‘o ye rock gods...’

Photos

Rob Kay helps to set up Rock Band for action.