Mad Catz fully responsible for relaunch of Rock Band 3

by Ben Gilbert on Sep 20th 2011 2:05PM

When Mad Catz re-releases Rock Band 3 this holiday, it'll be acting as sole financier on the Xbox 360-only publishing deal. "They're actually doing the retail distribution as well as marketing support, etc. They're acting as de facto publisher for the title," Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos explained to me in an interview session late last week at the Tokyo Game Show.

That makes Rock Band 3 one of the first retail Xbox 360 game to be published by Mad Catz, a long-time peripheral manufacturer who is now getting into publishing on Microsoft's console. The company's second title, appropriately named War Wings: Hell Catz, is due to arrive on PCs some time in 2012. It has yet to be announced for the Xbox 360. Additionally, Mad Catz has a rugby title due out later this year.

Rigopulos also noted that the relaunch is aimed at a variety of people, from new audiences who haven't ever played a Rock Band title, to "people who are still playing Rock Band 2 or Guitar Hero players who haven't even entered the genre yet." Rock Band 3 will relaunch with Mad Catz branding and peripherals for the Xbox 360 some time this holiday season.

Tags: alex-rigopulos, harmonix, harmonix-music-systems, mad-catz, microsoft, Rock-Band-3, tgs-2011, tokyo-game-show, tokyo-game-show-2011, xbox

Reader Comments (40)

why? is Rock Band 3 not available anymore? I thought it was the best music game ever?

@briscott

No its not. Remember that Harmonix split off from its publisher, MTV Games.

They held the rights to the publishing of the game, while Electoronic Arts was given the job of distributing it.

All this fell apart once MTV Games said bye bye to Harmonix. Harmonix, however, was allowed to keep the rights to the Rock Band IP.

Harmonix now made a deal with Mad Catz in order for the game to be re-published and re-distributed. This means, more copies of the game will start production.

@briscott

All the copies in existence suicided once they saw how lame and predictable all the DLC had gotten over the past 6 months. They were like "one more Foo Fighters or Weezer song and I'm ending it" and then, BOOM!

@baby sea tuna
You sir, are insane. The DLC in the past 6 months has been bombastic and varied.

@briscott

" thought it was the best music game ever?"

wrong. very very wrong... Rock Band 2 was LOADS better then RB3. The music and the simplicity. all RB3 really has is the piano and the pro modes. Other then that, from the menu to the UI changes they droped in quality.

and yes i know its blasphemous to speak ill of anything RB realted but RB3 left a really really sour but sweet taste. I love the Pro modes but hate everything else.

Yah!! to now that someone will keep making replacements for all the Rock Band 3 peripherals that i break because I'm rocking way too hard........

I used to associate Mad Catz with cheap, poorly made controllers and accessories, then they produced the series of SF4 fight sticks, which were outstandng IMO. I'm curious to see how their first venture into a retail game will go, especially for a genre that seems to be on the serious decline, No doubt, Mad Catz will have a whole line of launch instruments as well.

@Slight of Ham They did all the instruments when RB3 first launched, and my keyboard is still in perfect working condition after 11 months.

Wait...so they're not republishing it for the PS3? Only the 360?

@Ospov Correct, but you can get the PS3 instruments for about half the price on Amazon. They basically aren't in short stock online. Can't say the same for in stores.

@MarkHawk Black
*In large stock online.
*Low stock in stores.

@Ospov

Mad Catz is just starting off as a publisher. You can't expect them to go all out.

I'm surprised they even went as far as console-publishing. Publishing for consoles is super expensive. Would have expected a PC publishment first.

Anyways, this is just for start off. PS3 and Nintendo support will come once Mad Catz has enough capital to expand.

@Ospov

It looks like they are moving slowly and steadily into this new business. They will publish on PC (as it doesn't require any licenses) and have secured an Xbox publishing license. As each console requires its own license and contract, it looks like they are only targeting one of them for now as they try on their shiny new publisher suit.

@Ospov

As part of their move to start publishing/distributing games, Mad Catz is only doing it for the 360.

@Ospov Rock Band 4...XBOX 360 EXCLUSIVE! lol

I know some people who are tired of the genera but Rock Band 3 is a solid title.

@MarkHawk It's too bad more people aren't tired of the generic shooter releases than Rock Band.

@MarkHawk

It's a rare month that we don't sit down and play a Rock Band (currently playing 3 and Beatles) for at least one or two nights with my family. There isn't another game or series that we have played as consistently as it for the last 4 years.

@MarkHawk Yeah it really sucks that the best, definitive rhythm game was released at the very end of the genre's popularity.

They made it great for people who wanted to start actually learning, great for parties and the library is huge but now not that many people really want to play it.

@MarkHawk Agree! It's the best music title out there. There is something for everyone in that game, and through DLC.

I'm just going to put a voice in for Beatles RB, I just wish all band specific RB/GH games could have been made with as much care and presentation.

@BennettRoger

You're already an idiot.

@BennettRoger C'mon dude. The least you could do is give us a dolphin.

@blackangel209
Can I have a dolphin too?

^^^^^^^
I assume the original post got removed, but your two posts are so out of context and thus hilarious.

I'm still so perplexted. It isn't like RB3 was only released for a short period, or that the game is hard to find, or that the peripherals evaporated.

And I could have sworn the music genre had a bubble burst because there was just too much being released over a short period of time across the board.

@CaptainProtonX

There are days that I wish the peripherals evaporated. I can't walk through my basement without tripping over something RB related.

Price drop on the keyboard please. I picked up RB3 when it hit $20 and loved every minute of it, want to play on keys but $74(current price on my amazon wishlist) for it is a bit salty.

@kazD

I'll sell you one, $50 with the stand. Hardly used.

Technically Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge might be Mad Catz first 360 title if Rock Band 3 doesn't release before November 1st, but I'm not sure how many people are lining up to buy Rugby Challenge.

@TheGameDeveloper I was just registering to post this exact comment. Beat me to it. (FWIW - my review copy of Rugby showed up yesterday...so it's likely before Nov 1).

Rock band 3 is great. Ive been playing since the release of rb1. I bought a real electronic kit ($1250 lol) to enjoy Rock Band and learn to really play drums.

I'm really happy about this! First Guitar Hero died off quite a bit when Activision over-saturated, so I'm glad Rock Band is still around. I find it to be a solid party title, and a lot of fun with friends online. AND they released a Heart song on there finally, so I can't wait to get more from them!

If Mad Catz is serious about making money with Rock Band well they need to go ahead and put Rock Band 3 out in Japan.

@Aeikozz Yeah, I hear the 360 is huge over there.

@Aeikozz http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/harmonix-ceo-alex-rigopulos-explains-what-happened-to-rock-band/

will they be making any more fender squier stratocasters?

I have Rock Band 3, and it's still widely available in every store here you could possible want to buy it from. Rock Band 2 on the other hand I do not have, and cannot find anywhere except used, and then the export key doesn't work. So what I'm going for is, rerelease RB2 as well, or release the songs as DLC. Pretty please.

Just make it a television peripheral already. They know they want to.

@vjklda9fd0a

Here's that dolphin you were looking for!!

Rock Band 3

Mad Catz fully responsible for relaunch of Rock Band 3

Reader Comments (40)

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:11PM briscott said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:17PM xiLeShadow said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:20PM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 3:41PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 3:53PM PR0F3TA said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:13PM sikapwach said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:14PM Slight of Ham said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 3:16PM SitriStahl said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:14PM Ospov said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:16PM MarkHawk said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:17PM MarkHawk said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:21PM xiLeShadow said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:24PM Courtney said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 8:46PM This Little Man Says His Name Is said

Posted: Sep 21st 2011 7:44AM Mics said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:14PM MarkHawk said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:24PM Golgo13 said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:30PM Courtney said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:32PM decypherSMC said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:55PM OrangeGamer said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 3:43PM 343 Guilty Fart said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:15PM Ospov said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:19PM blackangel209 said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 3:43PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:26PM FlashJS said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:29PM CaptainProtonX said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:50PM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:31PM kazD said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 3:06PM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:40PM TheGameDeveloper said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:42PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:51PM AFATALERR0R said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 2:56PM OrangeGamer said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 4:23PM Aeikozz said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 4:55PM Tel Prydain said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 10:13PM Flapjackal said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 5:18PM graison said

Posted: Sep 20th 2011 5:26PM Iamdude said

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Posted: Sep 21st 2011 12:51AM Ospov said

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