Mad Catz extends Harmonix licensing deal

Third party peripheral maker Mad Catz has extended its licensing deal with Rock Band developer Harmonix, gaining the rights to offer software and hardware bundles for Rock Band 3 and produce a wider range of licensed peripherals.

Specifically, Mad Catz will be able to offer bundles including the officially licensed keyboard controller and a copy of Rock Band 3. The most significant new peripheral allowed by the extended agreement is a MIDI adaptor, compatible with both authorised Rock Band guitar controllers and most MIDI keyboards and electronic drum controllers.

Additional products include a keyboard stand, microphone stand and drum pedal. Rock Band 3 will be released on October 29 in Europe. Unlike previous entries in the series the North American and European releases will be near simultaneous, and multi-format from launch.

"We are thrilled to have expanded our agreement with Harmonix to include a bundle which we believe offer the perfect introduction to the game and some of its unique features," said Darren Richardson, president and CEO of Mad Catz.

"For Mad Catz, distributing videogames along with the relevant accessories is an ideal way to leverage our powerful global distribution capabilities. We are also excited about the new products this agreement adds to our range of officially-licensed Rock Band peripherals," he added.

The original Rock Band licensing agreement was signed in April, although Mad Catz had already been producing licensed add-ons for a number of years.

Mad Catz saw a fall in net sales of 11 per cent in its most recent quarter, but is hopeful that a licensing deal for Call Of Duty: Black Ops and support for Kinect and Move will boost future revenues.