[November 12, 2010] 'Rock Band' maker on the block Tweet Nov 12, 2010 (Boston Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Cambridge-based Harmonix, developers of the popular "Rock Band" video game franchise, is for sale after parent company Viacom acknowledged yesterday that it never quite figured out how to turn the money-losing division's cultural buzz into enough cold, hard cash. New York-based Viacom said in a statement that it's already in talks with potential buyers for the Central Square-headquartered company that recently released "Rock Band 3" and made a big splash last year with "The Beatles: Rock Band." "The decision to exit the console gaming business reflects our strategy of focusing entirely on what we do best: make great branded entertainment content and deliver it through a variety of platforms," Viacom's statement said. The "Rock Band" business has dragged on the company's earnings for the past several quarters as people continue to avoid big shopping sprees. Music games such as "Rock Band" have struggled in particular because of the pricey accessories -- plastic guitars, drums and the like -- required to play them. "Harmonix has and will continue to create terrific video games," Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman said. "But for us, it is about focus. The console games business requires an expertise and scale that we don't have." Harmonix was the original developer of the popular video game "Guitar Hero." The company also launched the innovative "Dance Central" game for the Xbox 360, which uses motion detection to track the movements of players in what amounts to an interactive dance class. As part of the 2006 acquisition of Harmonix, Viacom paid the company's founders, Alex Rigopulos, 38, and Eran Egozy, 37, bonuses exceeding $300 million in multiple payments ending in 2009. On its Web site yesterday, Harmonix execs allayed the fears of jittery fans, saying that the sale wouldn't spell the end of their interactive gaming products. In fact, the company announced that it plans to offer tracks from the Bee Gees in an upcoming feature for "Rock Band 3." Herald wire services contributed to this report. To see more of the Boston Herald or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.bostonherald.com. Copyright (c) 2010, Boston Herald Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]