Tag archive: Harmonix

Media conglomerate Viacom—owner of MTV and many other things—has sold off video game maker Harmonix to investment firm Columbus Nova for an undisclosed amount. Viacom has been looking to divest itself of the game maker for some time, noting that Viacom just doesn't have expertise in the video game business. And Harmonix's sale to Columbus Nova reflects that: rights for the Rock Band and Dance Central franchises will be… Read More

Media titan Viacom is getting out of the video game business: as part of its third quarter financial results, the company announced that it plans to sell Harmonix, developers of the Rock Band video game franchise, among other titles. Despite the initial success of Rock Band, Viacom head Philippe Dauman indicated the company intends to get out of the video game business altogether. “The console game business requires an expertise and… Read More

The Kinect and dancing games are a natural fit. The success of Dance Dance Revolution was a clear precursor, and after subtracting those constantly shifting/sticking/breaking mats, and you’ve got a sure winner. So it’s only natural that the creators behind DDR, Konami, have released one of the first games for the Kinect: Dance Masters. Like its predecessor, Dance Masters is a club-centric, techno-dominated experience. The avatars are upgraded… Read More

Harmonix and MTV have started the hype machine for Rock Band 3, the latest edition of their music-based rhythm game, promising an array of new features along with compatibility with fans' existing instruments&Mdash;just in case anyone has already bought into previous Rock Band titles. Rock Band 3 will feature new keyboard game play, access to nearly 2,000 tracks when the game launches, support for three-part vocal harmonies, and the… Read More

MTV Games and Rock Band maker Harmonix have announced that the widely-anticipated The Beatles: Rock Band will go on sale to customers in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand on September 9, 2009—that's right, 9/9/09—for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii. In the United States, the game itself will be priced at $59.99 as a standalone software title that's compatible with existing Rock Band… Read More

The Beatles' Apple Corps has struck a deal with MTV parent company Viacom and Harmonix to bring the Beatles into the digital music age for the first time. And it will be a grand entrance: The Fab Four will be the the subject of a special edition of the popular video game Rock Band. Although no pricing or firm release date information has been set, the game was conceived in conjunction with surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo… Read More

Harmonix has announced the track lineup for the forthcoming Rock Band 2, and it’s a biggie. For headbangers there will be “Let There Be Rock” from AC/DC and – the biggest scoop, “Shackler’s Revenge” by Guns N’Roses, a track from the long awaited Chinese Democracy album. The other big names include Bob Dylan, Pearl Jam, the Grateful Dead and the Who, a total of 84 tracks, with more than 500… Read More

Viacom's MTV Networks has announced an agreement to acquire game maker Harmonix for $175 million in cash. Harmonix wasfounded in 1995 in Cambridge, Massachusetts with the idea of finding ways for non-musicians to have fun making music; the company shot into the industry spotlight with its rock guitar simulation gameGuitar Hero, published by RedOctane and Activision, which ships for Playstation 2 with a unique guitar-shaped game controller.… Read More