Rock band up for sale??

Viacom announced yesterday that they are to sell Harmonix, developer of the Rock Band game series and the new title for Kinect, Dance Central.

The reaons being is that by their own admission they have not been able to sucessfully break into the videogames industry.

As reported on gamesindustry.biz, Viacom state that their decision is down to a change in focus, and that "The console games business requires an expertise and scale that we don't have".

What this means for Harmonix is that they are in need of being snapped up. Who this will be is not yet known. The important this is that for the time being, Harmonix will still be supporting both Rock Band and Dance Central. A statement released yesterday on the Rock band forums by John Drake states "This morning's announcement does not affect the ongoing work at the studio as we continue to support our existing franchises, Rock Band and Dance Central. As stated earlier, Viacom is in discussions with several potential buyers and will continue to fully support the business until a sale is completed."

So there we go. Just after bothe Dance Central and Rock Band arrive to ctitical acclaim (see my upcoming Rock band review), the rug seems to have been pulled out from under them.

No doubt publishers are alreading lining up, with rumours that EA, Microsoft and indeed Activision are having a proverbial "sniff about". And still no word on what this means with the deal with MTV. But i'll be keeping you all informed as to the goings on.

But if you're reading this Harmonix, please....stay away from Activision.

Rock Band 3 setlist leaked?

Well well well. With the Gamescom event in full swing, many attendees are getting more than they bargained for.

One such attendee went to see what Harmonix were up to with Rock Band 3. Whilst demoing the game and scrolling through the tracklist, the guy obviously didn't know some sneaky so and so was recording his actions. The recordee then went on to play back his footage in super slo motion and wrote down the full Rock Band 3 setlist for us all to see. So.......let's just have a peek at what Harmonix had in store for us this year.

TRACKLIST:

Dio – Rainbow in the Dark
Huey Lewis and the News – The Power of Love
Ida Maria – Oh My God
Jane’s Addiction – Been Caught Stealing
Jimi Hendrix – Crosstown Traffic
Joan Jett – I Love Rock and Roll
Juanes – Me Enamora
Metric – Combat Baby
Night Ranger – Sister Christian
Ozzy Osbourne – Crazy Train
Phoenix – Lasso
Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
Rilo Kiley – Portions of Foxes
Smash Mouth – Walkin’ on the Sun
Spacehog – In the Meantime
Stone Temple Pilots – Plush
The Cure – Just Like Heaven
The Doors – Break On Through
The Vines – Get Free
The White Stripes – The Hardest Button to Button
Them Crooked Vultures – Dead End Friends
Whitesnake – Here I Go Again
Yes – Roundabout
B-52?s – Rock Lobster
Def Leppard – Foolin’
Filter – Hey Man, Nice Shot
Foreigner – Cold as Ice
Marilyn Manson – The Beautiful People
Tears for Fears – Everybody Wants to Rule the World
David Bowie – Space Oddity
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Get Up, Stand Up
INXS – Need You Tonight
Poni Hoax – Antibodies
Rammstein – Du Hast
Roxette – The Look
Tokio Hotel – Humanoid
HIM – Killing Loneliness
Maná – Oye Mi Amor
Slipknot – Before I Forget
War – Low Rider
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers – I Need To Know
Blood, Sweat, & Tears – Spinning Wheel
Chicago – 25 or 6 to 4
Faith No More – Midlife Crisis
T.Rex – 20th Century Boy
Rush – TBD
Avenged Sevenfold – Beast and the Harlot
Amy Winehouse – Rehab
Anthrax – Caught In A Mosh
The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations (Live)
Devo – Whip It
The Police – Don’t Stand So Close To Me
Queens Of The Stone Age – No One Knows
The Ramones – I Wanna Be Sedated
The Smiths – Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before
Steve Miller Band – Fly Like An Eagle
Tegan and Sara – The Con
Warren Zevon – Werewolves Of London
The Bronx – False Alarm
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Free Bird
Riverboat Gamblers – Don’t Bury Me… I’m
Still Not Dead
Blondie – Heart of Glass
The Who – I Can See For Miles
James Brown – I Got You (I Feel Good)
John Lennon – Imagine
Big Country – In a Big Country
Primus – Jerry Was a Race Car Driver
Echo and the Bunnymen – Killing Moon
Dover – King George
Raveonettes – Last Dance
The Sounds – Living in America
Phish – Llama
Paramore – Misery Business
At the Drive-In – One Armed Scissor
The Muffs – Outer Space
Golden Earring – Radar Love
Elton John – Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)
Deep Purple – Smoke on the Water
Hypernova – Viva La Resistance
Pretty Girls Make Graves – Something
Bigger, Something Brighter
Swingin’ Utters – This Bastard’s Life
Dire Straits – Walk of Life
Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1

So. Pretty much something for everyone. I for one am EXTREMELY excited at the prospect of playing the offerings from Big Country, Primus and of course Rammstein. I just love the whole package in fact.

Rock Band 3 is due for UK release on October 29th.

EDIT:

Harminx have responded to the leak. It's a little tongue in cheek!

Rock Band 3 Setlist OFFICIAL Comment from Harmonix on Vimeo.