Amplitude reboot on the brink
Harmonix’s updated version of the PlayStation 2 cult classic Amplitude is moving into the final stretch of its crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, and the developer has raised over $600,000. But there’s a long way to go in the final 48 hours, as the game is roughly $150,000 away from its goal of $775,000.
If you’re not familiar with Amplitude, the original PlayStation 2 version arrived in 2003. Taking gameplay cues from its predecessor Frequency, players hit sequences of notes to build up music one instrument at a time, from licensed artists such as David Bowie, Garbage, Slipknot and Weezer. While it was well-liked by critics, the game failed to sell well and was later eclipsed by the massive success of the company’s instrument-based successors, Guitar Hero and Rock Band.
The company is seeking to produce a new version of the game for PS3 and PS4, and has embarked on an unusually short 18-day funding campaign in order to do so. In explaining its use of crowdfunding, Harmonix has stated that the underwhelming sales of the original games mean that a market needs to be proven for this project to go ahead. The campaign was stuck below the half-way mark for some time, but has jumped in recent days thanks to some major contributions, including a $7,500 donation from Ted Price, CEO of Ratchet & Clank developer Insomniac Games. The game has attracted a number of other large pledges, including three pledges of at least $10,000, one of at least $8,000 and a further two at the $7,500 level.
While successful Kickstarter campaigns usually experience a strong closing stretch, Amplitude is far enough away from its goal that the result could go either way. If you want to edge it closer, check out the campaign page here.
