I've tried extolling the virtues of Harmonix Music Systems' brilliant FreQency and Amplitude games, but the buzz just doesn't seem to be there. Sure, the game is simple in premise; you just make music, that easy. But the game's pick-up-and-play simplicity hides it's darkest secret: that it's one of the most addictive rhythm action games on the planet.



Sony is certainly pulling out all the stops in an effort to promote Amplitude, the more mainstream-friendly (thanks to bigger-name artists like BT, Weezer, blink-182 and Garbage) sequel to the decidedly electronica-tinged FreQency. The latest stop on the publicity tour is at the Winter Music Festival, one of the bigger music industry get-togethers. Tucked into the ASCAP Booth inside the hiply-named FUNKSHION offshoot of the WMF, Amplitude will be playable by the very folks Harmonix is attempting to ride alongside: composers, authors and performers (the CAP in ASCAP).



It remains to be seen if the showing will wow any music makers, but after a bit of off-the-record flack from a couple artists that made appearances in the first game but didn't return for the second, it'll be interesting to find out if the more simplified approach to composition will pique their interests. We'll have more if it heads our way.