Mad Catz now 'principal peripherals partner' for Rock Band franchise
"Mad Catz" isn't just the best name ever for a fictional group in Rock Band, it's also the new "principal peripherals partner" for the Rock Band franchise, including the upcoming Rock Band 3. The manufacturer now has worldwide rights to produce and distribute Rock Band peripherals. The company previously produced third-party peripherals for Rock Band and Rock Band 2. Mad Catz has confirmed to Joystiq that " As the official partner, accessories included in Rock Band bundles will indeed be produced by Mad Catz."
"We are excited to be expanding our relationship with Mad Catz to continue to bring their video game peripheral design and manufacturing expertise to the Rock Band platform," Alex Rigopulos, CEO of Harmonix, said in the announcement. "We look forward to partnering with Mad Catz to continue to innovate and lead the music game genre through the Rock Band franchise."
He has reason to be excited -- Viacom, owner of MTV Games and Harmonix, has already expressed its interest in getting away from the business of peripheral production, and now it's found a partner that has experience, and, recently, some clout in the creation of game controllers.
