MTV To Acquire Guitar Hero Maker Harmonix

An anonymous reader writes to mention a Gamasutra article about a surprise announcement from MTV. They're going to be acquiring Guitar Hero creator Harmonix for $175 Million. From the article: "Harmonix have had a long history of critically acclaimed, largely music related titles, including Amplitude, Frequency and EyeToy: AntiGrav for Sony and the Karaoke Revolution series for Konami. However, none of these games have proven significant commercial successes until the release of Guitar Hero last year for publisher RedOctane (itself recently acquired by Activision). MTV intends to uses the developer's expertise creating content for the company's websites, as well as for mobile services and VMTV - the online virtual world due to be introduced next year - and in general 'increase audience engagement and time spent with the brand across all screens.'"

The M is for ???

[richdun]

from the damnit-i-like-it-that-guitar-hero-plays-music dept.

Well, Punk'd Hero has potential... but Cribs Hero is going to suck.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Goodbye guitar hero, hello "Spring Break Booty Shaking Hero"

Can't wait to see that controller

M is for Marketing

[AmazingRuss]

It is only for music when music is the most effective way to market something.

Just fucking great...

[EvilCabbage]

... I can see it now, GuitarHero II featuring Krunkmaster G-flex Gomoney Daddy G.

You're busting my balls MTV, busting my god-damn balls..

Re:

[nb caffeine]

"My balls, sir. You're breaking my balls"

I guess the GH series was cool while it lasted. Hopefully GH2 is too far along for MTV to fuck up.

Damnit

[dctoastman]

Son of a bitch. This is going to suck.

Mod up

[SuperKendall]

Couldn't be any clearer. I hold little hope for Harmonix making anything I want to buy after this.

What it does mean is more 360 content from them though...

Consider it dead.

[93,000]

The game is gonna suck without music in it.

Why?

[MSFanBoi2]

Last I checked most of the hip-hop/rap/gangsta' crap on MTV doesn't even USE guitars!

Re:

[vertinox]

Last I checked most of the hip-hop/rap/gangsta' crap on MTV doesn't even USE guitars!

Last I checked MTV didn't even play that kind of music... Much less any music at all.

No more console games from the Harmonix guys?

[Turken]

So, if Harmonix is busy working on MTV's internal projects and properties, does that me no more music related console games from them?

Or does it mean that any new games franchises will lean very heavily on MTV's "popular" content?

Either way, this makes me sad.

Re:

[slipster216]

For some reason, the NYTimes writer replaced the word 'online' with 'website', leading to mad confusion about what we do here at Harmonix. So, in other words, we're still focused on console games as always..

Re:

[Turken]

Thanks for the clarification.

Also checked out your latest blog entry and your take on the situation. You make some good points about MTV at least being interested in the company for more than just the usual corporate rape-and-pillage that happens so often to smaller game companies.

It will be interesting to see what comes of this.

NOOOOOO!!!!

[Scutter]

DO NOT WANT

MTV Hero

[tgpo]

I suppose star power will now refer to your ability to lipsync and hold a mic at the same time.

Harmonix has made karaoke

[tepples]

Coming Soon: MTV's Karaoke Hero (featuring fake microphone!)

Harmonix developed Konami's Karaoke Revolution.

I've got a voice too

[steveo777]

This will suck balls. Any balls will do. I know it's redundant, but I've got a voice and I know nobody from MTV will ever hear this, but Guitar Hero is going to suck without music.

Oh, and not a chance in Hell will I play Hip-Hop Hero with turntables and "bootie" gauge instead of star power.

April 1st?

[BuCKsWorld]

Someone tell me I slept too long, and it's April now. There's no way this is going to help make anything better as far as Guitar Hero games of the future. It just feels like MTV trying to feel (and subsequently purchase) the pulse of the world that pretty much laughs at them now (sans the 14 year olds I guess).

(subtitled:)

[Alzheimers]

Do Not Want! [nyud.net]

Well, it's not the first time...

[twoallbeefpatties]

Anyone remember the "MTV Music Generator" created by Codemasters?

Re:

[Headcase88]

Never heard of it, but yes, MTV music is certainly formulaic enough to be generated by a PSone.

*looks up* Oh good lord, the third iteration of the series is called "MTV Music Generator 3: This is the Remix".

Awesome!

[Anonymous Coward]

This can only improve the game! I've always felt that the songs were too long and unbroken, and now my dreams have come true! Nothing will break up the tedium of "More Than a Feeling" better than an FMV clip of some girl in Times Square yelling "HEY! My name's LaBreeanna and I'm fourteen and I want to give a shout-out to my homies at Horace Greely Private Academy! This game needs more Pussycat Kate and the Trannity Dolls... woooOOOOOOOOOEEEEWWWW!!"

Bring the rawk, MTV!!

Obligatory

[oahazmatt]

Obligatory Snarky MTV Comment: Remember when Harmonix used to be about video games?

I'm done.

Sigh

[Dargoth_Rejuv]

Frequency Amplitude and Guitar Hero were great games, but there's no way I'm buying popcentric games with MTV at the helm.

New meaning to the word Zonked

[casualsax3]

This is probably the worst news I've read on /.

There goes Guitar Hero...

[RyoShin]

Great, so the next Guitar Hero will be songs broken up by stupid segments from shows like Jackass, and the Guitar Hero after that won't even have songs, just teen reality dramas where you have to push the correct button in time with the previously coreographed drama onscreen.

Unless you play it late at night, and then you'll be able to choose one of five songs you hate to play.

However, if you shell out the extra cash and buy a second copy of the game, then you'll be able to choose from 12 songs any time of the day.

Re:

[MindStalker]

However, if you shell out the extra cash and buy a second copy of the game, then you'll be able to choose from 12 songs any time of the day.

Oh but after a few years, that copy too will degrade to mostly playing reruns of the previous version.

How was MTV associated with Guitar Hero before?

[brkello]

I know when Guitar Hero loads up, there is an MTV logo that appears. So there was already an association. Hopefully they will just give these guys piles of cash and not try to offer any creative (or uncreative) vision. But yeah, I am with others...I am too cynical to believe that this will do anything but destroy the game.

so i guess this means

[Some_Llama]

That there won't be any more songs in guitar hero?

I envision instead playing the life of a racker in a house with 5 other rockers battling out to see who will do dishes, arguing over who left the condom floating in the hot tub and trying to get a perfect score by backstabbing the other rockers while dodging any repurcussions...

I can't wait.

game to web?

[NuShrike]

Surely MTV could've selected another company instead of the our favored rising star Harmonix to torture into practically WEB CODERS in MTV's black abyss of pointless Flash and content drivel. Oh despair!

It's not going to revive MTV back to how innovative it used to be in the beginning.

uh...

[silentbobdp]

you all understand that the original game was supported by MTV...right?