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Ryan Lesser here, Art Director at Harmonix, and I have some awesome news that I wanted to share with PlayStation fans. We are launching a Kickstarter to fund a new version of our DualShock-controlled rhythm-action PlayStation 2 classic, Amplitude, for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, and we need your support!
Thirteen years ago, Harmonix created our first music game – FreQuency for PS2. It wasn’t a commercial hit at the time, but fans and critics loved it. Even so, we knew we could do better. We polished, tweaked, and tightened the experience, and in 2003, we released Frequency’s sequel, Amplitude. I was the Art Director and part of the “design cabal” for the original title, and I’m excited to be the Creative Lead for this updated version of Amplitude!
If you missed the original release, Amplitude is a fast-paced rollercoaster ride through an all-digital landscape, where musical notes have been “silenced” by encapsulating gems. By destroying the gems with their ship, the Beat Blaster, players release the music within. Each track on this crazy ride represents a specific instrument, so gems can activate sounds including guitar riffs, bass lines, drum beats, vocal lines and more. Players blast through each song section, building the music, darting from track to track, and locking that soundscape together before transitioning to the next musical area.
Amplitude has a fast, arcade-like pace. Players scurry around to blast notes, grab power-ups, and capture successive musical phrases, and can skyrocket their score by never missing a note and streaking for multipliers. Finding the optimal line through the level is the key to mastering the gem patterns and topping the leaderboards. When the game first came out, we watched players spend hours lost “in the zone,” perfecting their playthroughs!
We love this game, and PlayStation fans have asked us for years to revive the franchise. We think that in a post-Rock Band world, a new Amplitude will really blow people away. It smashes together familiar beatmatch mechanics with fast-paced navigation, tactical terrain choices, and an intensity that is totally addictive. With the inclusion of four-player local multiplayer, online leaderboards, and other great improvements, we think we can build something really special for the new generation of PlayStation consoles.
 
Please check out the Kickstarter project for more information on how we plan on updating Amplitude for PS3 and PS4, and how you can help. Thanks!
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