Today, Viacom has confirmed it is looking to sell original-Guitar Hero and Rock Band-developer Harmonix Music Systems, following a year during which the sale of rhythm-games and their peripherals took a sharp dive. Reports indicated that the recently released Rock Band 3 failed to move more than 7000 units in the United Kingdom during the first week of release. The Wall Street Journal indicated that over the last several quarters, the performance of Harmonix has weighed down on Viacom’s overall company performance.
John Drake, head of PR at Harmonix has confirmed that the studio is indeed being sold, but was unable to specify any interested parties. He did indicate that several potential buyers are currently in negotiations, and that existing franchises, such as Rock Band and Dance Central, would remain unaffected. Viacom has indicated it intends to continue to support the studio until a sale is finalized.