Veteran developers who worked on the original Guitar Hero games have reunited to form a new studio, RedOctane Games. The studio is inspired by its past work and the community’s creations over the years. A new game is expected to be announced later this year.
RedOctane was founded in 1999 by brothers Kai and Charles Huang, who co-developed and produced the original Guitar Hero games with Harmonix. However, after Activision bought the studio in 2006, RedOctane split off and continued working on other projects before shutting down in 2010 due to market saturation.
The new RedOctane Games is led by Simon Ebejer, who previously worked as production director on several Guitar Hero games. The team includes other veterans from the original RedOctane and Guitar Hero, as well as younger developers who have worked on fan projects like YARG.
RedOctane aims to bring back the spirit of rhythm games while pushing the genre forward in new directions. According to Ebejer, “Rhythm games are about feel, flow, and connection to the music and to each other.” The studio is working on several innovative rhythm-based experiences and will announce a new game later this year.
The team has already created a high-end plastic guitar for games like Fortnite Festival, which was a step towards developing their new game. RedOctane’s new venture is part of Embracer Group’s portfolio of studios and resides within the company’s “Freemode” division.
“We firmly believe that the expertise lies with the community and a new generation of development talent,” said RedOctane in a press release. The studio wants to create a rhythm game built with love, by people who care, with the community at its core.
Source: https://kotaku.com/guitar-hero-devs-redoctane-new-studio-embracer-trailer-2000616027