Harmonix, the company behind the 
successful “Rock Band” and “Dance Central” franchises, is no longer a part of the Viacom empire.
Viacom, which announced plans to shed itself of the division last month, has sold the division to an investment management firm which will return Harmonix to its independent roots.
The Rock Band franchise is one of the best in the music
genre and this mobile version keeps the quality level high. The game comes with a deep collection of music — 20 songs are available initially — and finally lets players actually sing the songs, rather than tap the screen along with the lyrics. This “vocal mode” makes the game more immersive (though for tone-deaf players, the tap along option is still available). The game is pretty forgiving with singers, though — not recognizing lyrics and being extremely generous with pitch. The differentiating features of the iPad version (versus the iPhone version) are minimal and don’t really justify the extra $5 in price. It’s a well-made and truly fun game, but you’re just as well off buying the less expensive iPhone version.
While the fates of Jack, Sawyer, Hurley, et al were sealed in last night’s finale to “Lost,” the show may have one more trick up its sleeve.
“Rock Band” will reportedly add the biggest songs from the show’s soundtrack to its collection of downloadable titles later this week – giving you the chance to play both Driveshaft’s “You All Everybody” and Geronimo Jackon’s “Dharma Lady”. The songs are expected to come from the Rock Band Network, meaning Xbox 360 will get them first (and perhaps exclusively).
Chris Morris: Journalist 