14 DAY TRIAL // A number of job advertisements from developer Harmonix are suggesting that the company is working on a new video game that will mix a narrative thread, explorable environments and combat, presumably set to be launched on next-generation consoles.
The job opening for a narrative designer talks about a “unique motion-gaming IP” with the position set to create an “emotionally compelling story lines that serve as the basis for game levels”, “narrative worldbuilding material for the game world” and “immersive play experiences that use game mechanics, environmental design and cinematic moments to express narrative”.
The language suggests that gamers will get more fiction than Harmonix titles have usually delivered and a potential science-fiction theme.
Harmonix is also looking for a senior content designer who is linked to the same project and the ad talks specifically about a “groundbreaking” music-based game that will use “environments that encourage and reward player exploration, and add visual and narrative impact to gameplay”.
A senior level designer who needs to create AI behaviors, scripted elements, combat situations and environmental interactions is also sought by Harmonix.
The company also wants to hire an engineer who would be in charge of developing the infrastructure for this new mysterious video game.
It’s not clear how Harmonix plans to link the music based element of its new video game with an open world structure and a complex story.
Harmonix has recently been rather quiet when it comes to big future projects.
The company has recently announced that it was working on a new Rock Band Blitz downloadable title, which will offer a stripped down version of the mechanics of the core franchise.
The company has also recently created the Dance Central series, which relies on motion tracking, and is responsible for the success of the Rock Band franchise, which at one point dominated the music game genre.