Rock Band revenues increase in Q2 2010

[cherokeesam]

Yay....boring industry number-crunching.

But for those who care, there's been some interesting articles posted today about the sales numbers for Rock Band these days.

http://www.next-gen.biz/news/viacom-...ck-band-losses


While Viacom publicly blamed HMX & Rock Band for company losses in Q1 2010, and demanded payback on bonuses they had issued the company, looks like Q2 has seen a pronounced turnaround:

MTV and Harmonix parent company Viacom cut its losses on the Rock Band franchise in the quarter ended June 30, 2010.

The company’s Media Networks division, which houses its videogame business, saw quarterly revenue up six per cent year-over-year to $2.09 billion (£1.3b), while operating income rose 14 per cent to $789 million (£496m), “driven by higher affiliate and advertising revenues as well as lower losses from Rock Band”, the company said.

Company-wide revenue was flat at $3.3 billion (£2.1b), while operating income rose 28 per cent to $794 million (£499m), “on improving trends in the advertising market, continued strength of affiliate revenues and lower film and distribution costs for the quarter”.

Viacom blamed a decline in worldwide ancillary revenues on slow Rock Band sales for the prior quarter ended March 31, 2010.

I don't think GDRB contributed anything to that rise in revenue from RB (in fact, gamesindustry.biz wrote today that "the most recent full retail Rock Band titles, LEGO Rock Band and The Beatles Rock Band, failed to buck the trend, whilst add-on Green Day Rock Band sold only 82,000 in its first month in North America, despite MTV hoping it would be bigger than The Beatles game"), so I'm going to go out on a limb and give the shout-out to the RBN and to a revised strategy of releasing mainstream DLC over the past few months (and coming months) instead of the niche stuff that forum-goers have been constantly requesting.

Anyway, congrats on increasing revenue in Q2, HMX, and I hope that the sales juggernaut that RB3 will bring will finally get Viacom off your back (for awhile anyway).

[Alvarado6411]

I still think they should put more commercials and advertisements for DLC. Like I can totally see like maybe a Rolling Stone ad and it lists songs/bands that are on Rock Band.

[kkslider9827]

RB needs more advertising

[nascarfan19]

RB needs more advertising

i haven't seen anything that could have advertised RB in months (which was TB:RB) and i never even saw a GB:RB commercial

[Phisioni]

I work at Best Buy, and the most common question I have about Rock Band is why there aren't more songs for it. People just don't know about DLC, or they'd buy a ton more. One couple told me, as soon as I mentioned that CCR was available, that they were going to buy that as soon as they got home.

[woodwindpizza]

I work at Best Buy, and the most common question I have about Rock Band is why there aren't more songs for it. People just don't know about DLC, or they'd buy a ton more. One couple told me, as soon as I mentioned that CCR was available, that they were going to buy that as soon as they got home.

Wow. Hopefully more advertising along with it being more apparent in Rock Band 3 will fix this problem. But seriously, the loading screen always says "Check out the Music Store for more songs." or something like that...

[FujiSkunk]

But seriously, the loading screen always says "Check out the Music Store for more songs." or something like that...

That's a chicken-and-egg problem, though. You have to buy the game to see that loading screen. And many people aren't buying the game because they don't like at least a significant portion of the 84 songs on disc.

I agree this game could stand a little more public fanfare.

[Mikachu]

And many people aren't buying the game because they don't like at least a significant portion of the 84 songs on disc.

Then it's their own fault for not taking the time to at least read the back of the box, where it says they can buy hundreds of other songs from the Music Store.

[lvmathemagician]

You folks do understand that RB lost money again don't you?

[FujiSkunk]

Then it's their own fault for not taking the time to at least read the back of the box, where it says they can buy hundreds of other songs from the Music Store.

No argument there, but that's not the point of this discussion.