Rock Band, business, industry, mtv, news, profits, viacom

Rock Band Drives Viacom Profits Skyward

Rock Band has been very, very good to MTV parent company Viacom, who announced that first quarter profits rose 33% based mainly off the sales of the sales of the title, along with higher advertising revenue at MTV Networks. The media conglomerate also enjoyed a revenue increase of 15% for the period, surpassing analyst expectations at $3.1 billion. Between having one of the hottest games on the market and their Iron Man movie opening this weekend (saw it last night, and it was amazing!), it's not hard to imagine Viacom's executive chairman Sumner Redstone rocking out to Blue Oyster Cult in celebration, as the Reuters article suggests. What is hard is trying to wipe the mental picture from your head. Thanks a bunch, Reuters.

Viacom rocks with Rock Band [Reuters]
Photo by Lester Cohen of WireImage

10:20 AM on Fri May 2 2008
By Mike Fahey
1,591 views
27 comments

Comments

trunk3h at 10:26 AM on 05/02/08
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Good now do somthing about activision throwing money at things for guitar hero three and I can die happy
karasu is my homeboy at 10:29 AM on 05/02/08
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Connectedness Index: 231

33%!?

Holy crap.

Well, the entrance fee is about $200 so I guess it adds up.
goldwings at 10:29 AM on 05/02/08
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Now we can look forward to Rock Band wannabe copies right?
Wait... Uh oh if word gets out even further about this profit increase then we'll have stuff from Fox Entertainment again. Here's their first title.

Ino Jack: Ace Journalist
Luuey at 10:30 AM on 05/02/08
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I hope Harmonix is experiencing the same kind of good will.
SapphireC at 10:35 AM on 05/02/08
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It's to be expected though. Rock Band is doing a stellar job. It's an excellent product, and they have been awesome with the downloadable content, while Guitar Hero just occasionally spits up stuff.
DigitalHero at 10:37 AM on 05/02/08
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Connectedness Index: 204

I wonder how long this will last.
ocalot at 10:39 AM on 05/02/08
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@DigitalHero: Depends of how well DLC sells and if people continue to buy Rock Band or just start playing it at their friends house.
gameware at 10:42 AM on 05/02/08
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@Luuey: On March 3rd Harmonix was reported to have received a bonus of $208.7 million for the success of Rock Band.

[www.qj.net]
Rob_Velocity at 10:47 AM on 05/02/08
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@gameware:

To be paid for by European gamers.
Cruithne at 10:50 AM on 05/02/08
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@Rob_Velocity: Not this fucking European gamer, and I suspect I'm not alone in that.
Candlejack at 11:04 AM on 05/02/08
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@Cruithne: You're not. To hell with that pricing.
bobtheduck at 11:08 AM on 05/02/08
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Wait... Crap... Viacom... Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!! I feel so dirty... How could I be supporting Viacom! Time to figure out how to pirate the rock band songs...
I mean... stop...playing *wink*
bobtheduck at 11:10 AM on 05/02/08
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What am I saying... I support HARMONIX, just not MTV... CRAP! Who owns the title? Harmonix or MTV / EA? If harmonix owns it, I hope they leave MTV / EA and go indie, because I hate BOTH Viacom and EA... Such a dillema...
Struct09 at 11:16 AM on 05/02/08
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@bobtheduck: MTV owns Harmonix
LittlestLamshi at 11:17 AM on 05/02/08
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@bobtheduck:
MTV is to music as life is to mars...
Fulgurator at 11:20 AM on 05/02/08
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@Rob_Velocity:
With tha pricing they will only need to sell a dozen copies of the game to reach that ammount.
William "Killer" Shatner at 11:21 AM on 05/02/08
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*Shudders* a game so good and a corporation so evil.
globones at 11:23 AM on 05/02/08
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I really, really, hope that Tom Cruise does not play rock band. Xenu would not be very pleased.
Grimmjow Jeagerjaques at 12:00 PM on 05/02/08
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@bobtheduck: XD yeah, I also hate Viacom.
ScottG13 at 12:17 PM on 05/02/08
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Glad to see Rock Band doing so well for the parent. It could have been difficult to launch such an expensive product/band and it seems like they've pulled it off.
JohnDoe at 12:22 PM on 05/02/08
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Trying to avoid MTV/Viacom is like trying to avoid the air. I like South Park and Colbert: They are both part of MTV Networks.
sander_dutch at 12:28 PM on 05/02/08
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Fayeh, you are such a Iron Man fanboy (as you confessed so many many times) but how was the movie really? Was it Silver Surfer good or 300 good?
Let you guys decide which is better...better choose wisely though....
SubKamran at 01:06 PM on 05/02/08
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Between Rock Band and GTA IV, my summer will go by fast.
boopadoo at 01:52 PM on 05/02/08
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"Sumner Redstone rocking out to Blue Oyster Cult?" Sounds like DLC to me!
shaunomacx at 02:01 PM on 05/02/08
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@Candlejack: I second your secondment to that fact. in fact id wager im speaking for europe!
PurpleSfinx at 02:38 AM on 05/03/08
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Imagine how much they'll make when it comes out in Europe...
bobtheduck at 11:53 PM on 05/04/08
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@PurpleSfinx: Singstar will still beat Rock band in europe... Other way around in the US, by far... I wish there were more singers here... Most of my friends hate singing on rock band, and a game revolving around singing? No way.