Response to Questions about Viacom Selling Harmonix

[cherokeesam]

Honestly, if Acti are the ones that take the reins, I seriously foresee one of two things happening to Rock Band (and it's the same thing, really):

1) Acti drops Rock Band and puts HMX exclusively on Dance Central, which is making money; and leaves the rock gaming to Guitar Hero via Vicarious Visions;
2) Acti drops Rock Band and gives HMX both Dance Central *and* Guitar Hero.

I don't envision any other scenarios happening under Activision at all.

[thezeeman]

arent they doing well with Dance Central?

Well as of 12/4 - Kinect sold 2.5 million units which is known, not known is how many dance centrals, but it is like the #1 or #2 game, I think its tied with sports, so lets say half, that's like 1.2 million dance centrals, I would think its doing good...RB3 last I knew was like 700k?

[SJBenoist]

Why would anyone plan on buying a franchise that is losing money? I have a hard time believing anyone is going to buy into HMX , it just doesn't make alot of sence to buy into a franchise that isn't going to profit.

Hopefully I'm dead wrong , but I think it's time for me to stop buying DLC and just wait and see what happens, I have a bad feeling that the RockBand days are over.

Wait, why would you stop buying DLC?

Seems to me that is the OPPOSITE of what you should do. Grab as many songs as you can while they are available.

[dansolo]

Wait, why would you stop buying DLC?

Seems to me that is the OPPOSITE of what you should do. Grab as many songs as you can while they are available.

Exactly why I am buying up songs like it's going out of style, because it has, apparently.

[folkeye]

If HMX was aquired by Activision (since they got a franchise under their belt) what happens with all the investments people have made in the pro-mode stuff (if RB was no more and they had them work on something like GH again). Considering the content of the two games won't mingle, would people have to start all over again, would pro continue on in another series or just quietly go away? Is there a future and support for these innovations?

[White_PawZ]

after reading the post from Rock Band Aide today, I am convinced that Activision is going to buy HMX, shut down Rock Band, and put them on Guitar Hero.

Which sucks, obviously. We'll have these huge libraries of songs and a network/pipeline for user-created content that will all be for nothing on a defunct franchise.

I am NOT buying into Guitar Hero. I'm too invested, sorry. We'll always have our songs I guess.

I am SO GLAD I did not buy a pro mode guitar! Sure, it could end up working with Guitar Hero 7: We Recreate Rock Band 3, but who knows...

I don't get the point. All the work is done and the platform already exists... Why do it all over again and call it Guitar Hero?

This really looks bad....

[White_PawZ]

"Greatest rhythm game ever made" Then it just goes away a few months after release...

Things were just getting really good... Pro mode just started, now I guess it will "just start" all over again on HMX made Guitar Hero... yippee....

I don't even have the words...

[Ruz-El]

Activison has a history with Guitar Hero where (until recently) DLC didn't carry forward. So if they do buy Harmonix, I would hope that the game they make would continue with the Rockband DLC since it's a much larger pool. It will be a burn for sure to the GH players, but would make more sense.

That's if Harmonix owns the licenses. If the licenses in RB don't go with the company, then you can expect clean slate and RB moseying off into the sunset. Hopefully the pro instruments will be compatible with the GH series that would result, but I'd doubt it.

I wont be buying the fancy pro guitar until there is an outcome with this stuff.

[White_PawZ]

Activison has a history with Guitar Hero where (until recently) DLC didn't carry forward. So if they do buy Harmonix, I would hope that the game they make would continue with the Rockband DLC since it's a much larger pool. It will be a burn for sure to the GH players, but would make more sense.

That's if Harmonix owns the licenses. If the licenses in RB don't go with the company, then you can expect clean slate and RB moseying off into the sunset. Hopefully the pro instruments will be compatible with the GH series that would result, but I'd doubt it.

I wont be buying the fancy pro guitar until there is an outcome with this stuff.

I agree on that last part as well.

I cannot see a good outcome here, unless you are a Guitar Hero fan. Then, you get to celebrate the downfall of Rock Band, and have your game turn into Rock Band by the people who made Rock Band (which sucked, remember?). Makes sense.

Ugh... Rock Band 3 must have had the shortest honeymoon ever! What, was it 2 weeks after it came out that Viacom essentially slammed the door on it and declared it dead?

[ThatAuthoringGroup]

I need to win the lottery.

Quick!