GameRecoil -> -> Konami Filing a Suit Against MTV, Viacom and Harmonix for Rock Band

• 
  For all of you that don't know that much about video game history and think that Rock Band is the first of its kind, you're wrong. After you ignore the obvious Guitar Hero cousin, there is a much older ancestor of Rock Band. Nearly ten years ago the Japanese company Konami released DrumMania and Guitar Freaks. These two games were musical rythm matching games with realistic instrument peripherals (sound familiar?). Although the average video game addicted teen in the US probably has never heard of these games, Konami sold millions of copies of their musical games worldwide.
  
  You can imagine how unhappy Konami was when Harmonix brought a ridiculously popular game to the market that combined drums, guitars and singing. Konami allegedly had patents back from 2002/2003 for the musical rythm matching games using musical instrument simulators. Seeing that Rock Band would fall under both categories, Konami filed a suit against Harmonix, MTV Networks and Viacom for being intellectual pirates.
  
  It should be pointed out that the timing does seem a little fishy for Konami. Rock Band has sold millions of the bundles costing $179 and also millions of the online song downloads. Viacom even recently claimed that Rock Band was solely responsible for some profit increases. Konami is probably feeling sore from all of the success Rock Band is getting, but this lawsuit doesn't seem like it is going to do much against MTV, Viacom and Harmonix (will put up a good fight).
  
  On another note, Rock Band 2 and Rock Band: Japan are coming out soon. Now that just seems to be like rubbing salt in the wound.
  
  Source

• Rating: 0 ( 0 vote)

  • Currently 0/5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

  Posted July 12th, 2008

  Category: PS3 News, Wii News, Xbox 360 News,   Add to favorites

• Comments
  Post a Comment
  Would you like to comment?
  Join for a free account or Login in if you are already a member.