Hi, for the site I work for I had gotten an interview with Rhythm Authors. I thought I'd put it up here first to see what people thought. It's not too serious, just quite a casual interview (and it was done in skype so I apologize for the sloppiness):
demon-scutter says: "How did you get the job of creating songs for Rock Band 2?"
Sean Feica says: This started a couple years ago when the ability to create custom songs for Guitar Hero 2 became much easier for the community. Several key members of the Rhythm Authors staff helped develop tools and methods that truly broke the mold on authoring.
Sean Feica says: Because of this, Harmonix understood our previous experiences with the technical end of the authoring process, and brought us on board a bit earlier to help develop and give feedback.
Sean Feica says: We don't work directly for Harmonix, but as a separate entity, much like any other individual or group would be through the Rock Band Network.
demon-scutter says: So do you think other people might try and set up similar companies?
Sean Feica says: Absolutely! There has been a couple of start-ups already, plus lots of community members aspiring to do authoring on their own. Lots of people are gung-ho.
demon-scutter says: How difficult is it to create a song that is fully working in the game?
Sean Feica says: The authoring process can be a bit daunting at first glance, until you break it down into steps. Start to finish, depending on the song, development time can take anywhere from 40 to 60 hours. That includes the audio engineering of the game stems, each instrument with animations, stage lighting effects and testing.
demon-scutter says: So not many people are going to try and take this on alone?
Sean Feica says: Early on, Harmonix had projected that only a couple hundred people may actually take the time to learn everything. Though the more people there are, even if just for testing on the creators site, the faster songs will make it through the peer review stages and hit the marketplace.
Sean Feica says: We're really excited to see just how many people have been interested, and we will be in the trenches helping people along.
demon-scutter says: "Are There any particluar songs or artists you would like to put into Rock Band 2?"
Sean Feica says: Personally, I think if Muse was to contact us directly, I'd probably pass out from the excitement. I'm more excited to be able to bring exposure worldwide to smaller indie artists that have the talent to make it somewhere.
demon-scutter says: so you are hoping that the Rock Band Network will help the indie music scene?
Sean Feica says: It's not only going to help just the indie scene, but it's going to change the face of the music industry as a whole. There's been reports that major labels and artists are looking at this as an alternate music release venue.
Sean Feica says: Even after two weeks since the announcement, we've been able to bring exposure to lots of amazing indie artists.
demon-scutter says: "Where do you think music games such as Rock Band 2 can go from here?"
Sean Feica says: Until recently, a lot of people were thinking that the rhythm gaming genre was in a downspin. In light of the RBN announcement, and the hugely positive response from communities, adn the gaming/music industries alike, I don't personally see the genre dying out any time soon. There's a near infinite amount of music in the world to be discovered, and billions of people around to enjoy it in a new and engaging way.
Sean Feica says: I have all the faith in Harmonix to continue innovating as they always have before.
demon-scutter says: Alot of people have said the music gaming industry is becoming overstaurated, what is your opinion on this?
Sean Feica says: I kind of agree with this, but only to a certain extent. I'm not a big fan of releasing 4-5 games in a year under the same IP. However, no-one is forcing anyone to buy absolutely everything. At least there is enough variety available for just about everyone's musical tastes. Buy what you're going to love and enjoy, and do just that.
demon-scutter says: Do you think that the Rock Band Network will give Rock Band the "upper hand" over other music games
Sean Feica says: Yes and no. The Rock Band Network brings a new set of skills to the table, which targets a different audience than what competators have done. The initial costs of becoming a part of the creators club can be daunting for a lot of people, especially in these tough times. But for those that want to go the extra mile and create professional level content, now's the opportunity.
demon-scutter says: How do you see the music/rhythm game based industry moving past the band kit? Do you believe there is anything left to be added to it, or will the Drum set, mic and plastic guitars be all there is?
Sean Feica says: We've seen other instruments before, like piano, but due to the difficulty it didn't get very far. I would like to see more instruments get added at some point, but realistically the instruments that would work well for this style of game have already been brought in.
Sean Feica says: I'd like to see a game involving the control of lighting for a show. Another angle at the music industry.
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