Ariana x Fortnite
Courtesy of Epic GamesEpic Games, the company behind Fortnite, has acquired game development studio Harmonix, the creator of Rock Band and Dance Central for an undisclosed amount, the companies have announced. The move should help incorporate more music into Fortnite, which has already made a name for itself in the music industry by hosting massive virtual concerts for artists including Travis Scott, Marshmello, and Ariana Grande.
“Music is already bringing millions of people together in Fortnite, from our emotes to global concerts and events,” Alain Tascan, vp game development at Epic Games in a statement. “Together with the Harmonix team we will transform how players experience music, going from passive listeners to active participants.”
“Harmonix has always aspired to create the world’s most beloved interactive music experiences, and by joining Epic we will be able to do this at scale,” added Alex Rigopulos, co-founder and chairman at Harmonix. “Together we will push the creative boundaries of what’s possible and invent new ways for our players to make, perform and share music.”
Harmonix says it will continue to support its older games while it works with Epic Games, but noted that no new instruments would be built for Rock Band. With the metaverse a clear focus for Epic Games, and the music industry looking for avenues to get in on the next generation of the internet, this partnership should bode well for the ongoing relationship between the music and gaming industries.
Chris Brown has been ordered to pay close to $13 million in damages after a widely watched civil lawsuit tied to a brutal dog attack at his California residence. A Los Angeles jury ruled that the American singer and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, were negligent after his 200 pound Caucasian shepherd allegedly attacked his housekeeper, Maria Avila. According to Billboard, the decision concludes a hard fought two week trial centered on the devastating incident that took place in 2020.
The case focused on a terrifying incident at Brown's home in Tarzana, where the dog, Hades, reportedly mauled Avila as she was taking out the household trash. The attack left her with permanent facial injuries, serious nerve damage, and partial vision loss. During the trial, jurors heard testimony claiming Brown drove away from the property shortly after the attack instead of helping Avila or contacting emergency responders. Brown later admitted he left because his manager advised him to do so, explaining that he panicked after seeing the amount of blood and wanted to avoid attracting media attention.
Although Brown accepted a measure of responsibility before the trial began, his legal team challenged how severe Avila's injuries were and argued that she shared some of the blame. Brown said he had warned employees that the guard dogs were extremely dangerous, but both Avila and her sister rejected that claim, saying no such warning was ever communicated because of a language barrier. Avila also told the court that the lasting scars on her arm and the emotional trauma she continues to experience have made it impossible for her to return to work.
Billboard also reported that the jury awarded an additional $885,000 to Avila's sister, Patricia, who witnessed the attack, as well as $50,000 to Maria's husband, Oscar Olivo. Attorneys representing the family said they were grateful for the outcome, describing the verdict as long awaited justice after five years of legal proceedings. The ruling comes as Brown remains on a major North American tour and ahead of a separate criminal trial he is expected to face in the United Kingdom later this year over an alleged nightclub incident.
