Rock Band=3 Million; Wii Ski; Rocketmen

Earlier today, American media conglomerate Viacom reported a solid first quarter. The MTV parent company posted revenues up 15 percent year over year to $3.1 billion, with net income spiking a significant 33 percent to $270 million, up from $203 million for a year prior. While Viacom has its hand in all manner of media, including film, TV, and radio, the company specifically called out the the Harmonix-developed Rock Band as a particular contributor to growth. Specifically reporting on its earnings, Viacom said that since Rock Band launched in the North America last November, MTV Games has shipped more than 3 million bundled units. Viacom will undoubtedly soon have more cause to celebrate MTV Games and Harmonix’s rhythm game. In April, the game’s publisher said that the Xbox 360 version would finally arrive in Europe on May 23, with other editions slated to follow later in the summer. Harmonix also said that a Wii version of the game will release in North America on June 22 for $169.99, complementing the already available Xbox 360, PS3, and PS2 editions. Additionally, the media conglomerate said that more than 10 million songs have been downloaded across the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions of the game. In March, MTV and Harmonix played to fans’ wishes, opening up an in-game Rock Band Music Store for downloading new and existing bonus tracks. At that time, the game’s makers also said that more than 6 million pieces of content had thus far been downloaded.

Nintendo is set to launch the Wii Balance Board as a bundle with Wii Fit on May 19, but the first game compatible with the peripheral will actually arrive in stores a bit earlier. Namco Bandai Games America today announced that We Ski for the Nintendo Wii has gone gold and is set for retail release on May 13. More sedentary gamers will have a choice in controls, as We Ski supports the Wii Remote and Nunchuk as well as the board. It also includes freestyle, slalom, mogul, and downhill racing game modes, more than a dozen different tracks, customizable characters, and support for gamers’ own Mii avatars.  We Ski is rated E for Everyone and will retail for $29.99.

Rocket science is widely accepted to be not easy, and Capcom seems to have hit upon that fact with Rocketmen: Axis of Evil. Though A.C.R.O.N.Y.M.’s downloadable title was initially slated to arrive during the latter part of 2007, it didn’t in fact blast off on Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network until March. Fuel tanks thus in working order, Capcom is wasting no time on the first expansion for Rocketmen. The publisher said today that Rocketmen: It Came From Uranus will be available for download over XBL on May 14, with the PSN version clocking in a day later. Gamers can pick up the expansion for $4.95 (400 Microsoft points), and the original Rocketmen is required to play the add-on. According to Capcom, It Came From Uranus adds three new levels, where players must first escape a mine on Saturn, then blast their way through Saturn’s rings, and finally negotiate with the Saturnian leader to join a space alliance. The add-on also offers a trio of new primary weapons and a pair of secondary weapons.