MTVN’s Rock Band Is A Hit With 2.5 Million Song Downloads

With the pared-down Grammys providing another downer for an already beleaguered industry, this dose of optimism may help: After just eight weeks since its release, MTV’s video game Rock Band has approached the sales levels of an actual rock star, as music fans have bought more than 2.5 million song downloads tied to the game. The video game, which was developed by MTVN’s Harmonix division, was the centerpiece of the Viacom (NYSE: VIA) unit’s gaming strategy. It was released in November for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PS3 console game systems. Rock Band songs cost between $0.99 to $2.99 per track.The dismal state of the music business was not lost on Van Toffler, president of MTV Networks’ Music, Logo and Films Group, who said video games could offer a shot in the arm for the record industry, as CD sales decline.
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