Your Music Is the GameYour Music Is the GameDesigning PHASE, the Designing PHASE, the OtherOther Game at Harmonix Game at Harmonix

by Chris Foster, Senior Designerby Chris Foster, Senior Designer

About MeAbout Me

Formerly of Turbine (Formerly of Turbine (LOTROLOTRO),),ImpressionsImpressions

Involved in various non-Involved in various non-Rock BandRock Band initiativesinitiatives

Designed final version of Designed final version of PhasePhase, , programmed bits of itprogrammed bits of it

What Is What Is PhasePhase??

Inspired by Inspired by Frequency/AmplitudeFrequency/Amplitude

Play using your own music, on Play using your own music, on your iPodyour iPod

Tap and glideTap and glide

Single songs and marathonsSingle songs and marathons

6-15 people, ~1 year6-15 people, ~1 year(after external R&D, demo)(after external R&D, demo)

For more info, see For more info, see http://http://www.phasegame.comwww.phasegame.com

OverviewOverview

First PrototypeFirst Prototype Reacting to AppleReacting to Apple Visual StyleVisual Style Audio AnalysisAudio Analysis Core GameplayCore Gameplay MetagameMetagame

The BeginningThe Beginning

The Inspiration for The Inspiration for PhasePhase

After After Frequency/AmplitudeFrequency/Amplitude, how do we make , how do we make music games successful?music games successful?

If how much you enjoy If how much you enjoy playingplaying music depends on music depends on how much you enjoy the music itself…how much you enjoy the music itself…

… then playing … then playing your own musicyour own music is a good idea! is a good idea!

One inspiration: One inspiration: Vib RibbonVib Ribbon

““Play your own Music”Play your own Music”

Can tech make notes as well as people?Can tech make notes as well as people?

External R&D: Tech can do it External R&D: Tech can do it well enoughwell enough, s, someome of the time. of the time.

Let’s Prototype it!Let’s Prototype it!

PhasePhase (prototype) (prototype)

The PSP DemoThe PSP Demo

One trackOne track

Two lanesTwo lanes(shoulder buttons)(shoulder buttons)

Unfiltered R&DUnfiltered R&Dresults results notes notes

Urban journeyUrban journey

Instead of switching tracks, Instead of switching tracks, building a worldbuilding a world

The Early DemoThe Early Demo

What Was LearnedWhat Was Learned

Analysis worked for Analysis worked for somesome songs songs Data needed to be filtered somehowData needed to be filtered somehow

““Building a world” wasn’t centralBuilding a world” wasn’t central

Drum prototype was heating up – Enter Drum prototype was heating up – Enter Rock Band!Rock Band!

Project stopped – team dispersedProject stopped – team dispersed

TheTheOpportunityOpportunity

PhasePhase on the iPod? on the iPod?

Great:Great: The music is thereThe music is there Unique controllerUnique controller It does games!It does games!

Challenging:Challenging: Constrained techConstrained tech Unique controllerUnique controller Fundamentally different Fundamentally different

audienceaudience

The iPod Audience,The iPod Audience,and What the Game Isn’tand What the Game Isn’t

Not necessarily Not necessarily gamersgamers

Won’t “invest in fun”Won’t “invest in fun”

Listeners first,Listeners first,Players secondPlayers second

Complexity is not Complexity is not welcomewelcome

WeWe entertain entertain themthem

Game sessions aren’t Game sessions aren’t super-longsuper-long

We have some thinking to do…We have some thinking to do…and a brand new team!and a brand new team!

Visual StyleVisual Style

Looking for a LookLooking for a Look

How to Look AccessibleHow to Look Accessible

Frequency/AmplitudeFrequency/Amplitude: : hip, abstract, hip, abstract, confusingconfusing

No person, no instrument, no performance…No person, no instrument, no performance…now what?now what?

A A JourneyJourney..

Performance games: Performance games: personable, personable, understandableunderstandable

The Road to the JourneyThe Road to the Journey

Eventually, a single inspiration…Eventually, a single inspiration…

A Journey into MusicA Journey into Music

Numerous approaches Numerous approaches to this idea were to this idea were

considered, considered, including…including…

Michel Gondry’s video for “Star Guitar”Michel Gondry’s video for “Star Guitar”-- traveling through a world shaped by music-- traveling through a world shaped by music

Alternate JourneyAlternate Journey

New Team, New Idea:New Team, New Idea:The VisualizerThe Visualizer

iPod couldn’t handle world-buildingiPod couldn’t handle world-building Gameplay wasn’t adding up anywayGameplay wasn’t adding up anyway

Personify your musicPersonify your music Album Art, genre iconographyAlbum Art, genre iconography Your own photos? (Eww…)Your own photos? (Eww…)

““Listen first, play second”Listen first, play second” Listen in Phase, Play from the OSListen in Phase, Play from the OS

Visuals and AccessibilityVisuals and Accessibility

Image access broke the visualizerImage access broke the visualizer Re-assess: We’d ignored accessibility!Re-assess: We’d ignored accessibility!

We considered people, tooWe considered people, too Monster Rancher = your music comes to lifeMonster Rancher = your music comes to life

Wait! Our game is traveling down a road!Wait! Our game is traveling down a road! No, not actually in a car, ChrisNo, not actually in a car, Chris

What’s the style of our journeys?What’s the style of our journeys? Must be compelling, but technically simpleMust be compelling, but technically simple

((NoteNote: Hand-drawn Chris Foster originals have been known to : Hand-drawn Chris Foster originals have been known to increase in value among speculators aged 8 and younger.)increase in value among speculators aged 8 and younger.)

Aaron StewartAaron Stewart

““Understandable & personable” became “fun”Understandable & personable” became “fun” Set a tone for entire team… including designSet a tone for entire team… including design An external “rally point” that energized usAn external “rally point” that energized us

Audio AnalysisAudio Analysis

Defining “good enough”Defining “good enough”

Raw DataRaw Data

Transients:Transients: Gameplay Notes Gameplay Notes Low/Mid/High – Left/Center/RightLow/Mid/High – Left/Center/Right LoudnessLoudness

Beats:Beats: visual effects (for starters) visual effects (for starters) Estimated tempo trackEstimated tempo track A “confidence” measure that wasn’t.A “confidence” measure that wasn’t.

As raw data, this stuff worked well As raw data, this stuff worked well enough… for “normal” songs.enough… for “normal” songs.

Outlier SongsOutlier Songs

Songs with long silencesSongs with long silences

Ambient musicAmbient music

Super-irregular rhythmsSuper-irregular rhythms

Feedback and noiseFeedback and noise

BjörkBjörk

Quest for MusicalityQuest for Musicality

Patterns should get the same gemsPatterns should get the same gems

Verses/Choruses should repeat the same gemsVerses/Choruses should repeat the same gems

When the detected beat breaks or shifts, we When the detected beat breaks or shifts, we should spackle in repairsshould spackle in repairs

Emphasize Instruments over Drums over Vocals?Emphasize Instruments over Drums over Vocals? Low/Mid/High does this a bitLow/Mid/High does this a bit

The Dangers of SmartnessThe Dangers of Smartness

Which songs have which problems?Which songs have which problems? Fix one song, make others worseFix one song, make others worse

More rules, more bugsMore rules, more bugs Already porting from Matlab to C++Already porting from Matlab to C++ 200 formal test songs vs. “millions”200 formal test songs vs. “millions” Still flushing out catastrophic failuresStill flushing out catastrophic failures

Keeping It SimpleKeeping It Simple

““More Musical” = Beats x volumeMore Musical” = Beats x volume Easier difficulties get only most musical notesEasier difficulties get only most musical notes Still limited: Easy got more notesStill limited: Easy got more notes

Breaking up “sameness” of a songBreaking up “sameness” of a song Loud/soft sections = denser/sparser notesLoud/soft sections = denser/sparser notes A little intent went a long wayA little intent went a long way

Squeezing out more notesSqueezing out more notes More sensitivity, more errant notesMore sensitivity, more errant notes But worth itBut worth it

… … and and thisthis is simple. is simple.

TransientsTime

Energy (volume)

Lanes

BeatsTime

Confidence

Transient Proximity to Beat

Consistent Beats

Volume

RMSper Time-slice

RMS Volume per

Beat

Loud and Soft

Sections

“Spackled” Visual Beats

Notes

Expert

Hard

Medium

Easy

Taking a BreakTaking a Break

We still have gaps without notes!We still have gaps without notes!

Stupid musicians!Stupid musicians!

We can’t just We can’t just makemake more notes more notes

We need a gameplay solution…We need a gameplay solution…

Core GameplayCore Gameplay

No guitars, no plate-No guitars, no plate-spinning… no problem!spinning… no problem!

Re-inventing (for) the WheelRe-inventing (for) the Wheel

““Gliding” feels Gliding” feels good and natural!good and natural!

Can “slaloming” Can “slaloming” feel musical?feel musical?

Let’s fill in gaps… Let’s fill in gaps… with sweeps!with sweeps!

A Sweeping SuccessA Sweeping Success(sorry)(sorry)

Better than expected!Better than expected!

So: short sweepsSo: short sweeps

Musical placementMusical placement

From “rails” to “coins”From “rails” to “coins”

A sweeping-only A sweeping-only game?game?

A New Input DeviceA New Input Device

First: TappingFirst: Tapping

Back to Natural Back to Natural MappingMapping

PSP team had PSP team had creative controls, now creative controls, now largely impossiblelargely impossible

Without iPods, how do Without iPods, how do we test controls?we test controls?

How To Make an iPodHow To Make an iPod

Are We Fun Yet?Are We Fun Yet?

Songs were getting boringSongs were getting boring

Old techniques were goneOld techniques were gone No plate-spinningNo plate-spinning No plastic guitarNo plastic guitar

PSP team cast a wide net PSP team cast a wide net for alternate gameplayfor alternate gameplay

Too complex for iPod (and Too complex for iPod (and our schedule)our schedule)

Adding TensionAdding Tension

Not enough push backNot enough push back Accuracy too narrowAccuracy too narrow ““Stars” include streaks, Stars” include streaks,

provides broader range of provides broader range of success/failuresuccess/failure

Mid-song goalsMid-song goals Who needs old-style Who needs old-style

Checkpoints?Checkpoints? We do!We do!

We show star progress We show star progress during a songduring a song Rock Band Rock Band stole it!stole it!

A Lesson in SimplicityA Lesson in Simplicity

Vs.Vs. Vs.Vs.

StrikesStrikes(last known photo)(last known photo)

HeartsHeartsStarsStars

The Problem:The Problem:

Gain one Gain one goodgood thing: Stars thing: StarsGain one Gain one badbad thing: Strikes thing: Strikes

Result: ConfusionResult: Confusion

The Solution:The Solution:

Gain one thing: StarsGain one thing: StarsLoseLose another thing: Hearts another thing: Hearts

Speaking of Simplicity…Speaking of Simplicity…

Suggestion: “Choosing difficulty levels is too ‘hardcore’ ”Suggestion: “Choosing difficulty levels is too ‘hardcore’ ”

Proposal: Hit a phrase/bubble to survive, hit all gems in bubble to thriveProposal: Hit a phrase/bubble to survive, hit all gems in bubble to thrive

Deciphering “gem bubbles” would have been even harderDeciphering “gem bubbles” would have been even harder

The MetagameThe Metagame

The Gameplay that Happens The Gameplay that Happens Between SongsBetween Songs

Grand SchemesGrand Schemes

““Reward players for Reward players for exploring their music”exploring their music”

Play every song from artists, Play every song from artists, artists, albums, playlistsartists, albums, playlists

Collectibles, pegboards, Collectibles, pegboards, auto-generated “maps of auto-generated “maps of your music”your music”

Easter eggs in random Easter eggs in random songs, artists etc.songs, artists etc.

Maps in iTunes too? Sure!Maps in iTunes too? Sure!

Schedule-induced EleganceSchedule-induced Elegance

We have a contract!We have a contract!

We have a ship date!We have a ship date!

It’s cut our schedule in half!It’s cut our schedule in half!

(BTW, Campaigns aren’t fun yet)(BTW, Campaigns aren’t fun yet)

Back to BasicsBack to Basics

Classic Arcade Classic Arcade DesignDesign

Building a multi-Building a multi-song arcsong arc

Forcing the Forcing the difficulty issuedifficulty issue

Searching for Searching for the round pegthe round peg

Discarding Grand IdeasDiscarding Grand Ideas

Much of the old ideas could have workedMuch of the old ideas could have worked There wasn’t time to find outThere wasn’t time to find out

The open-ended game didn’t The open-ended game didn’t push backpush back It would have… eventuallyIt would have… eventually

Lessons:Lessons: Fun wasn’t central to the designFun wasn’t central to the design Humble ideas can be better than complex onesHumble ideas can be better than complex ones

Final ThoughtsFinal Thoughts

Final ThoughtsFinal Thoughts

Embrace your platform’s limitations and audienceEmbrace your platform’s limitations and audience

If gameplay is abstract, find a way to personalize itIf gameplay is abstract, find a way to personalize it

For analysis-driven procedural content, simple approaches For analysis-driven procedural content, simple approaches reduce riskreduce risk

Be wary of complex solutions, even when schedule allows Be wary of complex solutions, even when schedule allows themthem

Make sure Make sure everyoneeveryone can understand the design can understand the design

““Design is making bad decisions in pursuit of good ones.”Design is making bad decisions in pursuit of good ones.”You have to be willing to be wrong to find what’s right!You have to be willing to be wrong to find what’s right!

Q&AQ&A

Thanks for your time!Thanks for your time!

Special Thanks: Dan Teasdale, Rob Kay, Kasson Special Thanks: Dan Teasdale, Rob Kay, Kasson Crooker, Josh Randall, and the Crooker, Josh Randall, and the PhasePhase Team Team