Editing Harmonix (section)

=== Formation ===
Harmonix was founded on May 10, 1995 by [[Alex Rigopulos]] and [[Eran Egozy]], who met while attending [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]].<ref name="GameCritics interview">[https://gamecritics.com/david-stone/interview-with-alex-rigopulos-part-1/ Interview with Alex Rigopulos] at GameCritics.com</ref> Egozy was an electrical/computer engineer with an interest in music, while Rigopulos was a music composition major with an interest in programming; both met while working in the [[MIT Media Lab]]. After building a computer music generation system that could algorithmically create music on the fly, the two considered how one could use a [[joystick]] to control the system, and set up a demonstration of the unit for the Lab, which gained interest from others in the Lab. The two realized that after graduation that they probably couldn't pursue such ideas working at any existing companies, so they chose to start their own.<ref name="cnn hmx history">{{cite news | url = https://money.cnn.com/2009/09/03/smallbusiness/harmonix_rock_band_startup_story/?postversion=2009090304 | title = How 'horrendous failure' led to Rock Band | first = Maggie | last = Overfelt | date = 3 September 2009 | access-date = 3 September 2009 | publisher = [[CNNMoney]]}}</ref> The company was built on the premise that the experience of performing music could become accessible to those who would otherwise have trouble learning a traditional instrument.<ref name="cnn hmx history"/>

The company was initially funded with about [[US$]]100,000, and for the first five years, had nearly zero revenue.<ref name="cnn hmx history"/> The company's earliest product was ''The Axe'' on [[personal computer|PC]] [[CD-ROM]]. ''The Axe'' enabled consumers to easily perform unique instrumental solos by using a PC [[joystick]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2015/6/11/8765869/the-pitch-video-for-the-first-harmonix-game-will-make-your-head | title = The pitch video for the first Harmonix game will make your head explode | first = Charlie | last = Hall | date = 11 June 2015 | access-date = 11 June 2015 | website = [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] }}</ref> This product only sold about 300 copies, with Rigopulos and Egozy realizing that people, while initially entranced by the game, lost interest after 15 minutes of playing with it.<ref name="cnn hmx history"/> Harmonix then designed "CamJam", which performed similar functions, this time using simple body gestures to trigger music sequences.<ref name="GameCritics interview"/> CamJam was utilized at [[Disney]] theme parks.<ref name="cnn hmx history"/><ref>[https://www.livedesignonline.com/mag/show_business_roar_iaapa/index.html The Roar of IAAPA] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927230320/http://livedesignonline.com/mag/show_business_roar_iaapa/index.html |date=27 September 2007 }} at livedesignonline.com</ref> This led the two to consider approaching entertainment businesses like [[Dave & Buster's]] to include their products, but they soon realized that this would be a year to a year-and-a-half effort, too long for their needs.<ref name="cnn hmx history"/> They then considered the entertainment industry in [[Japan]], which in 1997, was taking off with the introduction of [[karaoke]] bars and [[music video game]]s such as ''[[PaRappa the Rapper]]'', ''[[Beatmania]]'', and ''[[Dance Dance Revolution]]''. They attempted to sell their CamJam equipment to these entertainment centers but found little interest for it. They came to a realization that games like karaoke were popular not due to personal expression, but because they encouraged players to try to accurately recreate the songs through their actions.<ref name="cnn hmx history"/> These games also focused on bringing musical experiences to gamers through simple, understandable interfaces commonly found in games.<ref name="GameCritics interview"/> With this realization, the two returned to the United States and regrouped their company as a video game developer, though they had to let about 40% of their current staff go.<ref name="cnn hmx history"/>