Guitar Hero isn’t back, but some of the developers behind it are with a new–and not so new–studio, RedOctane Games. Revealing itself in a new form to the world today, RedOctane Games was the name of the original publisher behind the Guitar Hero series. With a plan to solely focus on rhythm games, it’s being led by Simon Ebejer, who served as production designer on games like Guitar Hero 3 and World Tour. Ebejer was also previously studio head at Vicarious Visions (now Blizzard Albany).
There are numerous “creators and developers who helped create and scale Guitar Hero and DJ Hero,” working at RedOctane Games, according to a press release, “as well as proven emerging development talent and community leaders from across today’s rhythm gaming space.” Charles and Kai Huang, the founders of the original RedOctane Games, are also involved in new iteration as part of a special advisory board.
“Rhythm games are about more than just gameplay; they’re about feel, flow, and connection to the music and to each other,” said Ebejer in a statement. “RedOctane Games is our way of giving back to a genre that means so much to us, while pushing it forward in new and exciting directions.”
As it stands, RedOctane Games isn’t ready to announce a game, but it has apparently now started production on its first title, which is planned to be announced sometime this year.
