harmonix posts

Welcome to Freeware Friday, a weekly column showcasing excellent games that you can play free of charge!

The rhythm genre is one that seems to be exploding, especially with the advent of Guitar Hero. Everbody loves to wail on plastic guitars and pretend to be a rock god! Just look at the bevy of knock-offs, as well as the war between the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises. For the PC, though, there's a great Guitar Hero freeware clone for those who want custom music in their game. That clone is the excellent freeware game Frets on Fire, which also happens to have the most ridiculous logo known to man.

In recent weeks both the states of Georgia and Wisconsin have passed laws that gave game developers in those states access to special tax breaks. Now it looks like the state of Massachusetts is considering doing the same thing. According to an article on the Boston Herald web site, state lawmakers are considering passing a bill that will give game developers up to 20 percent off in taxes if a company invests at least $500,000 in building a game facility.

Of course, the state is already home to a number of major game developers like 2K Boston, Turbine, Harmonix and others. At the moment there's no guarantee that the bill will be passed but it's clear that more and more states see game development as a significant investment.