If anyone needed further proof that video games have replaced indie films as the 21st century's promised land, Harmonix founders Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy -- the guys who did "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" -- earned a $150 million bonus this year based on the 2008 sales performance of "Rock Band," according to Viacom's financial statements. That's in addition to the $175 millon Rigopulos and Egozy earned in selling their company to MTV in 2006. [Silicon Alley Insider]

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• Japan (Japan!) is getting sick of videogames [SAI]

Could Disney buy Electronic Arts? Martin Peers suggests that such a purchase could look awfully yummy, given EA's sinking stock price and a $7.2 billion valuation  -- a 62% discount off its $19 billion profile of a few years ago -- and strong sales on titles like "Spore" and "Rock Band 2." Writes Peers, “Any entertainment company could be interested in EA, given continued growth in videogame sales, the potential for cross-fertilization with TV and film storylines and advertisers’ interest in buying space in games. Disney makes the most sense. EA’s biggest assets include its sports games, such as Madden NFL, which would fit with Disney’s ESPN cable network. Disney could also save at least part of the roughly $200 million it spends annually to develop its own games.” [Heard on the Street]

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• Games publisher THQ closes five studios [Kotaku]
• An EA/Disney deal "unlikely in the current market" [Digital Daily]

The Beatles have licensed songs to MTV Networks' "Rock Band" videogame, Ethan Smith, Nick Wingfield and Sam Schechner report, calling the deal "a coup" in its battle with rival Activision's "Guitar Hero." The deal is expected to be announced tomorrow. "The Beatles represent by far the biggest prize to date in the category," they write. "Not only do they have the best-selling album catalog of any band, they have not yet licensed their music for sale by download services such as Apple Inc.'s iTunes Store." [WSJ]

UPDATED TO ADD: Even the Wall Street Journal is capable of jumping the gun. While the rights to the Beatles' music was acquired by Harmonix/MTV Games, which publishes the "Rock Band" franchise, the Beatles' music will not be part of "Rock Band." Instead, it will be used in the creation of an entirely separate interactive performance videogame that will also be published by Harmonix/MTV Games. Variety's coverage here; press release here.

Much as filmmakers like Spike Lee and Steven Soderbergh embraced the low-budget ethos 20 years ago, Laura Sydell reports that game developers are leaving bigger companies for the creative freedom found in smaller shops. "We have an idea for a feature. I go talk to a couple guys in here at their desk and — bang — the feature's done," says Glen Egan, a developer who left Activision to found Sanzaru Games. And while there's not a gamer's Sundance (yet), there are indie-game publishers like Gamecock. Its CEO, Mike Wilson, even sounds a little like the Harvey Weinstein of yore: "Most entertainment industries now are run by people who have very little affinity for… what they actually are building," he says. "It's people that play golf, not video games." [NPR]

"Libraries are hosting gaming tournaments, while schools are exploring how to incorporate video games in the classroom," Mokoto Rich writes. Publisher Scholastic launched a new mystery series, "The Maze of Bones," which is tied to an online game; Random House has commissioned its own online game to tie into the next book of its best-selling "Inheritance" fantasy series. Reports Rich, "A recent poll by the Pew Internet & American Life project found that 97 percent of children 12 to 17 play games on computers, consoles and handheld devices." Even PBS stalwart the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is jumping on the bandwagon, supporting an effort to create a public school that promotes learning with game design principles such as instant feedback and graphic imagery. [New York Times]

The man who wrote "Win With the Rebels" -- fight song for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas -- is suing Electronic Arts for using the music without permission on games such as "NCAA Basketball," "NCAA Football" and "NCAA March Madness." Songwriter Gerald Willis, who says he copyrighted the song in 1990, wants $150,000 per infringement and the destruction of the offending games. [Courthouse News]

Activision bought a synchronization license to the Romantics' '80s hit "What I Like About You," but the band filed a lawsuit when they found the result (used on "Guitar Hero Encore Rocks the 80s") to be too close to the real thing. However, U.S. District Judge Nancy G. Edmund disagreed in a summary judgment that thew out the suit, noting that the band “failed to establish that their 'sound' is distinctive.” The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld publicity rights claims involving the “distinctive” voices of singers Bette Midler and Tom Waits. [On Point News]

It's only for "select" titles and the shipping is $5.98. However, the shipping's free for Amazon Prime members. Up first are “Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09” (Aug. 26) “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed” (Sept. 16) “Fable 2” (Oct. 21) and “Gears of War 2” (Nov. 7). [Business Wire]

Videogames like "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" are pointing the kids who play them toward their parents' music, Denise Quan reports. "A few weeks ago, when the game featuring Aerosmith ['Guitar Hero: Aerosmith'] came out, there was more than a 40 percent increase in their catalog sales," says Geoff Mayfield, senior analyst and director of charts for Billboard magazine. "I expect you'll see that again when Metallica gets the same kind of treatment in a few weeks." Metallica's "Death Magnetic" is slated for release September 12; drummer and former Napster-hater Lars Ulrich helpfully points out that you can download it and play it on 'Guitar Hero III' the same day. [CNN]