Viacom Is Selling Off Harmonix

Go go Valve to the rescue!

I don't get why they'd sell Harmonix off like this.  Seems like a profitable franchise to me.

" the time is now, activision! "

Harmonix is one of the best game developers out there. How could they be fired so easily after being such a successful branch?

Hopefully this leads to bigger and better things. Good luck guys!

I could see Sony or Microsoft trying to pick them up

" @Laketown said:

" the time is now, activision! "

I guarantee activision won't buy them. Guitar Hero sold poorly. Rock Band 3 fucking bombed. They won't buy them because they won't make a profit. Activision want new fresh games they can pump out for years, not a developer who might have one or two games left in them. "

So how is this going to affect the Rock Band Network? 
In six months will I still be able to buy extra songs for RB3?

This is good news. Harmonix are garbage developers who try to sell us the same useless piece of plastic every year. If this stops them from flooding the market with what is essentially shovel ware, it's great news.

This may have been asked already, but I am curious to see if Alex cares to comment on this story?

" @swoxx said:

" What the fuck is going on, i thought Harmonix was doing bangers "

Nah... Harmonix has been reporting net losses for a few years now. It is a victim of its own success in a way - as a lot of other people have mentioned there is an overabundance of plastic instrument based rhythm games out there, and the market can no longer support the outlay needed to create a new version of the game.  I too hope Harmonix will come out of it OK, there aren't too many Boston based game devs of note anymore (though I suppose that is true of a lot of cities). "

Well this sucks. Don't know if I'll buy RB3 now.

Rock Band 3 is near perfection. 
 
Honestly this is a 'must have' series for a lot of people so Harmonix will be fine, especially when the next generation of consoles comes out in about 3-4 years.

" What the fuck is going on, i thought Harmonix was doing bangers "

I guess it kind of makes sense since the Rock Band franchise has pretty much reached a point where there's no more features to introduce but I'm sure Harmonix will continue making quality products, no matter who buys them.

What the fuck is going on, i thought Harmonix was doing bangers

" @PJ said:

" @killawogg said:

" 10-1 activision buys them "

1-1 that EA buys them. 5-1 that Microsoft does. "

I'm going a smooth 6-1 that THQ gets in the mix. "

I don't think it's fair to call it a "bonus payout" if it can be forcibly refunded.
That's more like getting an advance on your taxes.
I'm sure Randy and Vince would agree.

" @killawogg said:

" 10-1 activision buys them "

1-1 that EA buys them. 5-1 that Microsoft does. "

" 10-1 activision buys them "

Great news! Hope EA steps in and lends a hand.

" Did anyone forget that EA helped publish the game? If anything, I'm sure EA will buy up Harmonix just to continue their support on the game and to continue the competition against Activision. "

Come on everyone chant with me... not Activision.

Craaaaaap...He says it won't effect support, but come on...it totally will. 
I LOVE Rock Band 3 and I want tracks to keep coming out for it. The keyboard is so much fun.

EA is the most likely candidate, but if they don't get a large publisher willing to back them before long, this could be the end of a great developer not past their prime.

Too bad.

Hope the best of luck to Harmonix, they have a great blend of staying successful without being condescending to their player base.

Not as bad as a studio closing, hope that Harmonix (as they've been quite successful in the past) can find someone else to team up with or bounce from publishers. Best of luck to them. Viacom never seemed that good a fit for the game industry, I think of them more for tv/movies than games.

It's been a long road...GETTING FROM THERE TO HERE!

Kind of weird to dump such a big money-maker wing like that. 
But hey, maybe we can get an actual parent company that knows a little something-something about developing or publishing.

" @Laketown said:

" the time is now, activision! "

Fuck that idea. "

" Come on Microsoft you have the money, you have the technology *dance central* and you need an exclusive! come on!!!! "

Viacom: Okay, you finished Dance Central and RB3 and made us filthy rich. Thanks! NOW GTFO
 
God, if Activision buys them...

Man, I love Harmonix, and I hate the way they've been jerked around since Guitar Hero. They created a cultural phenomenon with that game, then Activision told them to get lost. Now this almost immediately after two of the best games they've ever made? Can't catch a break.

as long as its not activision i don't care,  i prefer ea to swoop in

10-1 activision buys them

" @ajamafalous said:

" @FreakAche said:

" @BananaKid said:

" Music games are not selling and Rock Band 3 is, for a music game, pretty inaccessible. I'm not super surprised. "

Have you played Guitar Hero? That's the definition of an inaccessible music game. "

What would you say makes Guitar Hero inaccessible? "

It's got much less genre variety in it's soundtrack and DLC. That, and the charts are generally much more complicated (with the exception of Rock Band 3's Pro Mode). "

Am I alone in thinking that this is kind of ridiculous. I mean it's understandable that the business decision to buy them for SO much money and pay the heads SO much in royalties was a miscalculation by MTV's part, but I'm not sure why they'd sell them off. The games are good, they are bringing in DECENT revenue, I just don't understand. Maybe they aren't selling as well as they did when Rock Band one came out but how much did they expect to accrue after EVERYONE had plastic instruments? theres only so much that market can take. Why not just have harmonix make something else? I don't get it.

" @FreakAche said:

" @BananaKid said:

" Music games are not selling and Rock Band 3 is, for a music game, pretty inaccessible. I'm not super surprised. "

Have you played Guitar Hero? That's the definition of an inaccessible music game. "

What would you say makes Guitar Hero inaccessible? "

As long as Kotick doesnt get his mits on them i dont care who buys them, last thing we need is his greedy ass grinding them any further into the ground.  Its a shame to see all the hard work Harmonix have been doing getting a game up to this standard only to watch them be cast aside, i hope its not the end for them, we may never see that crazy cool guitar ive been waiting on....

" @BananaKid said:

" Music games are not selling and Rock Band 3 is, for a music game, pretty inaccessible. I'm not super surprised. "

Have you played Guitar Hero? That's the definition of an inaccessible music game. "

Thank goodness.  I hated giving money to MTV.

inb4 Rock Band: Warriors of Rock

Come on Microsoft you have the money, you have the technology *dance central* and you need an exclusive! come on!!!!

Anyone say Activision

I wonder how this is going to affect everything being that Rock Band u are supposed to be able to transfer everything from game to game? I hope this is not the end for Rock Band or Dance Central I would be truly sad.