Rock Band Developer Harmonix Unveils Fuser, a Music-Mixing DJ Game

by Ellen Glover
February 26, 2020
Boston-based Harmonix is releasing a new game Fuser, which lets players mix their own music as a festival DJ
Image: Harmonix Music Systems

Harmonix Music Systems, the Cambridge-based game studio behind Rock Band and Dance Central, is developing a new game: Fuser. But instead of rocking out on plastic drums and guitars, players will make sick beats on a virtual four-deck DJ controller.

The game is set at a massive EDM festival where players can channel their inner Steve Aoki, remixing and transforming the vocals, bass and instrumentation of 100 different songs, including hits like Lizzo’s “Good as Hell” and throwbacks like “All Star” by Smash Mouth.

Players can be as funky as they want, blending the guitar from “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper” by Blue Öyster Cult,  the vocals of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” the drums of “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO and the bass of Billie Eilish’s “bad guy” to create one dope track, as seen here:

Like Rock Band, the key is to keep the rowdy crowd happy. In campaign mode, players have to field mid-set DMs from audience members requesting specific genres or artists. If the player doesn’t stick to the music tempo or comply with demands, then the audience will get upset.

The game also encourages creativity, allowing players to add their own instrumentation and custom beats to the mixes. If players create something they’re especially proud of, Fuser will allow them to share it both in the game and on social media. Players can also collaborate and compete with others through the game.

“With Fuser, we are delivering the ultimate music fantasy game,” Harmonix CEO Steve Janiak said in a press release provided to the Washington Post. “Music today is an experience. It’s not just people listening to albums anymore — it’s recording and sharing videos of you singing along to your favorite songs, watching your favorite bands play at festivals and sharing hit music with your friends. Fuser puts players at the center of all that by letting you mix and share some of the biggest hits on your way to becoming a festival headliner.”

The game is scheduled to be out on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, XBox One and PC this fall and will be published by NCSoft, a South Korean video game development company.

Jobs at Harmonix Music Systems

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