While Activision's acquisition of indie publisher RedOctane for US$ 91 million last year certainly made some big waves in the videogame industry, just as big was the news that MTV Networks bought Guitar Hero developer Harmonix for US$ 175 million. Today we've gotten word that another big player will be joining in the drama.

According to GameSpot, EA Partners VP David DeMartini has announced that Activision rival Electronic Arts and Harmonix have inked a deal where EA will distribute Harmonix's upcoming MTV-branded game. Harmonix co-founder Alex Rigopoulos also confirmed the deal while speaking to attendees at a GDC press reception last night.

While both Rigopoulos and DeMartini declined to give further details regarding the upcoming game, Rigopoulos said that this current project is "by far, by far our most ambitious undertaking ever." With both Harmonix and MTV behind the yet-to-be-announced game, we expect it to be a music-based title, and with EA's involvement, expect it to become a franchise. Keep checking back here at QJ.net for more details as they surface.