Harmonix Buys Itself From Viacom

Logan Westbrook

Transform, Roll Out, Etc
Feb 21, 2008
17,672
0
0
Harmonix Buys Itself From Viacom

The music game developer says it is grateful for all the help that Viacom gave it, but is excited to be striking out on its own again.

Just weeks after putting the music game developer up for sale, Viacom has found someone who wants to take Harmonix of its hands, and despite names like EA and Activision buzzing round, Harmonix has not become the plaything of a big publisher.

Instead, Harmonix's new owner is Harmonix-SBE Holdings LLC, an affiliate of investment management company Columbus Nova. This move makes Harmonix a privately owned, independent studio, as it was before Viacom purchased it in 2006. Neither company has disclosed the value of the sale.

Writing on the Rock Band [http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=211766] website, Harmonix's John Drake said that Viacom had been a great home for the developer for the last four years, and thanked everyone at the company who had worked with Harmonix in making games like Rock Band [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003RS8HG6/ref=s9_simh_gw_p63_d2_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0EYGH37JG2S8VX7AS2WK&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846] and Dance Central [http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Central-Xbox-360/dp/B002I0HBOI/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1293130403&sr=1-1] possible.

Drake said that very little would change from the consumers' point of view, and that Harmonix would continue to support its previously released titles as it had always done. He also said that Harmonix had a few unannounced projects it was working on that he thought people would be very excited about.

Source: Rock Band Forum [http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=211766]

(Thanks to [user] Tempest Fox[/user] for the tip.)


Permalink
 

Jamboxdotcom

New member
Nov 3, 2010
1,276
0
0
nah, i think this is a good thing. there's still a market for music games, they just have to be done without a big corporation mentality. i.e. they need innovation and quality, not gimmicks and expensive peripherals.
 

Mrsoupcup

New member
Jan 13, 2009
3,487
0
0
ultimateownage said:
And then they go bankrupt because no one wants music games anymore.
Exactly, music games could have become a genre, but they saturated the market and it became nothing but a fad.

Edit: By they I mean Harmonix and Activision.
 

Rainboq

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2009
16,620
0
41
Good to hear that game developers can be independent from the monolithic corporate giants again!

*wishes for Blizzard to break off from activision*
 

Throwitawaynow

New member
Aug 29, 2010
759
0
0
I've been playing rock band 3 for several months now, and I love the new peripheral you know the things people are constantly crying about the keyboard. If they make a RB4 and it has a bunch of keyboard songs I will buy it.
 

Maze1125

New member
Oct 14, 2008
1,679
0
0
ultimateownage said:
And then they go bankrupt because no one wants music games anymore.
Considering Dance Central is selling bajillions, I think your analysis is probably a bit off.
 

jackanderson

New member
Sep 7, 2008
703
0
0
Logan Westbrook said:
He also said that Harmonix had a few unannounced projects it was working on that he thought people would be very excited about.
Please be a new Frequency/Amplitude game! Please! Please!! PLEASE!!!
 

Jumplion

New member
Mar 10, 2008
7,873
0
0
Good for them, I wish them the best of luck in the world of independence. Let's see what they come up with.
 

malestrithe

New member
Aug 18, 2008
1,818
0
0
This is a good move for companies.

If you don't like your evil corporate master, strike out on your own and become your own evil corporate master.
 

Dexiro

New member
Dec 23, 2009
2,977
0
0
ultimateownage said:
And then they go bankrupt because no one wants music games anymore.
People want music games, they just don't want another guitar hero/rock band rehash.
 

tautologico

e^(i * pi) + 1 = 0
Apr 5, 2010
725
0
0
Rainboq said:
Good to hear that game developers can be independent from the monolithic corporate giants again!

*wishes for Blizzard to break off from activision*
Have you checked Blizzard's size as a company? Blizzard IS a corporate giant. It is also connected but not subject to Activision.
 

emeraldrafael

New member
Jul 17, 2010
8,589
0
0
well, thats a positive step for the economy.

Thats not even joking, thats being serious. Now, that being said I hope they can continue to produce, otherwise they just doomed themselves and will be back where they just left again.
 

D Moness

Left the building
Sep 16, 2010
1,146
0
0
I think it is the best step for Harmonix. This way they can keep developing the games they want to without any company from above telling them to do it differently