Last month, Viacom sold off Harmonix, the developer behind the hit rhythm game series Rock Band and Dance Central, to a private equity company. The move left MTV Games, publisher of the Rock Band series, without its biggest studio--or a game series to publish.

　　MTV Games is reportedly no more.

　　It is unsurprising, then, that today comes a report saying that MTV Games has closed its doors. According to an unconfirmed article on British industry site MCV, the label's international office in London was completely shuttered yesterday. A skeleton crew apparently remains on board in the publisher's New York offices to mop up outstanding financial issues.

　　The fate of MTV Games' other studio, a collaboration with prolific film producer Jerry Bruckheimer, remains unclear. That outfit formed in 2007 with the intention of being an "incubation studio" designed to conceive of games but not actually build them.

　　Multiple requests for comment sent to MTV staffers had not been responded to as of press time. If true, the closure marks the end of Viacom's four-and-a-half-year experiment with the gaming industry. It began in September 2006, when Viacom bought Harmonix for $175 million dollars plus a generous bonus structure. However, initial success gave way to unprofitability by 2009.

　　Soon, Viacom was seeking a refund for bonuses paid to Harmonix even before Rock Band 3 launched last October. By November, Viacom announced its intention to sell off the division, which it did in December for a reportedly tiny sum.

　　For more on Rock Band 3, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

　　You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.

　　Click To Unmute

　　Rock Band 3 Video Review

　　Tears Of The Kingdom Is A Technological Marvel

　　Resident Evil 4 Is A Perfect RemakeHow Alan Wake II Made Me Face My Fear of Horror GamesGameSpot's Top 10 Games of 2023Thompson: The Pop Culture Icon’s Strange Legacy - LoadoutFirearms Expert’s FAVORITE Weapons Of 2023State Of Gaming Handhelds In 2023Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Ichiban Kasuga Character Spotlight TrailerHow Lies of P Cracked the Souls GenreLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Chitose Fujinomiya Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Eric Tomizawa Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Kazuma Kiryu Character Spotlight Trailer

　　Share

　　LinkEmbed

　　Size:640 × 360480 × 270

　　Start at: End at: Autoplay Loop

　　Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?

　　Sign up or Sign in now!

　　Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.

　　This video has an invalid file format.

　　00:00:00

　　HTML5

　　Auto HD High Low

　　Report a problem

　　Sorry, but you can't access this content!

Please enter your date of birth to view this video

　　By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's

　　Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

　　enter