According to a recent job listing, Harmonix is going to branch out from the music/dance genre when the next generation of consoles are released, and get into something slightly more violent than accidentally smacking your Dance Central 2 partner in the face.
We don’t know any of the specific details of the game that Harmonix is working on, but whatever it is the studio thinks it will require the expertise of a “Combat Designer”. The job description, posted on Gamasutra, reads:
“Harmonix seeks a Combat Designer to create real-time, single-player combat experiences for a brand new IP on next-generation hardware. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute creatively to the studio and work on a project that is unlike anything Harmonix has ever done before.”
The listing also mentions that the new employee will be responsible for creating a combat system that has “variety and depth” and a “robust combat AI system” for “minor and major” enemy encounters.
In a separate statement to Kotaku, Harmonix‘s John Drake confirmed that the studio is “actively developing multiple new IPs on next generation hardware”, but didn’t provide further insight into the game other than to say that it’s “kickass”.
Considering that the music rhythm genre is pretty much tapped out and the dance genre is locked down by Ubisoft’s Just Dance, I’d say it is in Harmonix‘s best interest to stretch their development legs into some new areas. Personally, I’m excited to see what the studio has in mind.
