The Wall Street Journal reports that Harmonix, the company responsible for the Rock Band franchise and others, was just sold for about what you paid for their last game. Investment group Columbus Nova has snapped up Harmonix for a mere $49.99, in addition to any costs related to remaining Viacom liabilities, which includes music rights fees and unsold games and equipment. The sale to Columbus Nova has come after months of rumors, and three years of sliding profits from Harmonix, who are responsible also for Guitar Hero and the Kinect’s Dance Central. The deal was also brokered such that MTV Games and Viacom receive $150 million in tax benefits, rendering their original $175 million purchase of Harmonix five years ago now a mere $25 million.
The future of the company remains yet to be seen, as numbers for Dance Central have not been released yet. But with its cross generational popularity as one of the better titles available on the Kinect, perhaps there’s still a lifeline for Harmonix just yet.
