{{Short description|American video game company}} {{More citations needed|date=August 2025}} {{Infobox company | name = RedOctane, Inc. | type = Subsidiary | logo = RedOctane logo.svg | logo_class = logo-nobg | fate = Closed | founded = {{start date and age|1999}} | founders = Kai Huang<br>Charles Huang | defunct = {{end date|2010|2|11}} | hq_location_city = Mountain View, California | hq_location_country = US | parent = Activision (2006–2010) | key_people = Kai Huang (CEO and Co-Founder),<br /> Charles Huang (COO and Co-Founder)<br /> Kelly Sumner (Chief Executive Officer) | industry = Video games | products = | website = }} '''RedOctane, Inc.''' was an American electronic entertainment company. They were best known for producing the ''Guitar Hero'' series, beginning in November 2005. RedOctane became a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision in 2006, which later closed down in February 2010.
A new studio, RedOctane Games LLC, dedicated to rhythm games, was founded in August 2025 by several former RedOctane staff under the Freemode division of Embracer Group, with the original co-founders Kai and Charles Huang returning as advisors.
==History== RedOctane was founded in 1999 by the brothers Kai Huang and Charles Huang. They got their beginnings operating the world's first online video game rental service, called WebGameZone. They soon began to create game accessories such as the Red Octane Ignition dance mat, joysticks, and other accessories to build upon already-existing musical games. After soon realizing that their game accessories were tied to the launch dates of the games they were producing for, Red Octane began producing games. Their first original game was a PlayStation 2 port of Roxor Games' arcade rhythm game ''In the Groove''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.giantbomb.com/redoctane-inc/3010-3468/|title=RedOctane, Inc. (Company) - Giant Bomb|website=www.giantbomb.com|access-date=2016-04-27}}</ref>
RedOctane teamed with developer Harmonix Music Systems to release ''Guitar Hero'' in November 2005 for the PlayStation 2. The game was successful, and RedOctane released a sequel in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/tag/jack-mccauley/ | first=Jim | last=Stevens | publisher=Mercury News | date=2008-10-16 | access-date=2010-09-22 | title=More guitar hero world tour tidbits}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2338307,00.asp | first=Brittany | last=Petersen| publisher=PC Magazine | date=2009-01-28 | access-date=2010-09-24 | title=The History Leading Up to Guitar Hero}}</ref>
In May 2006, video game publisher Activision announced plans to acquire RedOctane, completing the deal on June 6, 2006.<ref>{{cite web|title=Activision Paid $100 mln for RedOctane|url=http://www.next-gen.biz/news/activision-paid-100-mln-redoctane|publisher=Next Generation|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120905022821/http://www.next-gen.biz/news/activision-paid-100-mln-redoctane|archive-date=2012-09-05}}</ref> Activision reportedly paid RedOctane $99.9 million in cash and common stock in the acquisition.<ref>{{cite web|title=Activision paid nearly $100 million for Red Octane|url=http://www.joystiq.com/2006/08/09/activision-paid-nearly-100-million-for-redoctane/|publisher=Joystiq|access-date=2007-04-18|first=Ross|last=Miller}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Activision Buys RedOctane for $99.9M|url=http://kotaku.com/gaming/guitar-hero/activision-buys-red-octane-for-999m-193304.php|publisher=Kotaku|access-date=2007-04-18|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070914012139/http://kotaku.com/gaming/guitar-hero/activision-buys-red-octane-for-999m-193304.php|archive-date=2007-09-14}}</ref> After the Activision buy-out and a split from Harmonix, RedOctane utilized Activision-owned Neversoft to take the helm on ''Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock'',<ref name="exclaimmag">{{cite web| author=Ostroff, Joshua| title=Battle of the Virtual Bands| url=http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/videogames.aspx?csid1=116| work=Exclaim! Magazine| year=2007| access-date=2007-10-31| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109072456/http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/videogames.aspx?csid1=116| archive-date=2007-11-09}}</ref> which was released in November 2007.
Gaming news site Kotaku called ''Guitar Hero'' an "instant cult classic". In its 26 first months after release, ''Guitar Hero'' generated over $1 billion in sales.<ref>{{cite web | title = ''Guitar Hero'' Goes $1 Billion | url = http://kotaku.com/347107/guitar-hero-goes-1-billion | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080123010837/http://kotaku.com/347107/guitar-hero-goes-1-billion | url-status = dead | archive-date = January 23, 2008 | publisher = Kotaku }}</ref>
RedOctane released ''Guitar Hero World Tour'' in October 2008.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
On February 11, 2010, Activision announced the closure of their RedOctane division.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3177930|title=Original Guitar Hero Publisher RedOctane Shut Down|author=Chris Pereira|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130101232913/http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3177930|archive-date=2013-01-01}}</ref>
==RedOctane Games== Former staff of RedOctane and Vicarious Visions, which led ''Guitar Hero'' development at Activision after RedOctane's closure, announced in August 2025 a new studio RedOctane Games LLC under Embracer Freemode, dedicated to "advancing the rhythm game genre".<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamesindustry.biz/redoctane-games-is-a-new-studio-dedicated-to-advancing-the-rhythm-game-genre | title = RedOctane Games is a new studio dedicated to "advancing the rhythm game genre" | first = Vic | last = Hood | date = August 6, 2025 | accessdate = August 6, 2025 | work = GamesIndustry.biz }}</ref> Co-founders Charles and Kai Huang, who launched periphery manufacture CRKD (also a subsidiary of Embracer) following their departure from the original RedOctane will be returning in a special advisory capacity, with former Vicarious Visions studio head and former VP of Operations at Blizzard Entertainment Simon Ebejer leading the studio. The new RedOctane plans to reveal their first game later in 2025, supporting guitar controllers.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamesradar.com/games/15-years-later-the-guitar-hero-studio-that-activision-acquired-and-killed-is-back-and-teasing-a-spiritual-successor-to-the-rhythm-game-that-put-it-on-the-map-they-said-the-era-of-5-fret-music-games-was-over/ | title = 15 years later, the Guitar Hero studio that Activision acquired and killed is back and teasing a spiritual successor to the rhythm game that put it on the map: "They said the era of 5-fret music games was over" | first = Dustin | last = Bailey | date = August 6, 2025 | accessdate = August 6, 2025 | work = GamesRadar }}</ref> Ebejer said that after the fall of the rhythm game market in 2019, fan-driven projects like ''Clone Hero'' and ''YARG'' had kept an active fan community, and subsequently with the release of ''Fortnite Festival'', demonstrated there was a place for a premium rhythm game.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamesindustry.biz/redoctane-is-reviving-guitar-based-rhythm-games-but-sensibly | title = RedOctane is reviving guitar-based rhythm games – but sensibly | first = Vic | last = Hood | date = September 2, 2025 | accessdate = September 2, 2025 | work = GamesIndustry.biz }}</ref>
{{anchor|Stage Tour}} Their project, ''Stage Tour'', was announced in February 2026 with a planned release later that year, with plans for release on Windows and consoles. It will support plastic instrument controllers with up to four players across guitar, groove/bass, vocals and drums, as well as support for standard computer keyboard controls. Though planned for digital release, RedOctane also plans to release physical packages bundled with instruments for those without existing controllers.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.engadget.com/gaming/guitar-hero-vets-redoctane-reveal-their-new-music-game-220809719.html | title = Guitar Hero vets RedOctane reveal their new music game | first = Ian Carlos | last = Campbell | date = February 26, 2026 | accessdate = February 26, 2026 | work = Engadget }}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist|30em}} {{Activision}} {{Guitar Hero series}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Former Vivendi subsidiaries Category:Dance pads Category:Video game companies established in 1999 Category:Video game companies disestablished in 2010 Category:Defunct companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area Category:American companies established in 1999 Category:American companies disestablished in 2010 Category:1999 establishments in California Category:2010 disestablishments in California