DJ Hero Special Edition Is Kinda Cool And Probably Expensive

Considering that the straight-up, standard version of the game is going to retail for $120, I suspect this special edition (called DJ Hero Renegade, what a dumb name) may cost in the neighborhood of $200. Head over to Kotaku for more info and pics!

Thanks, Kotaku!

DJ Hero Gameplay Footage

Actual footage just released.

More Info On Activision's Upcoming DJ Hero

Check it out!

Scratch Versus DJ Hero... Which Controller Makes More Sense?

A friend just emailed me regarding the DJ Hero controller piece I posted last week... apparently, DJ Hero isn't going to be the only DJ-themed game in town. From Kotaku:

From what we've seen of DJ Hero's turntable - and granted, it's probably not all of it - it's got three buttons and a turntable. But what about rival DJ game Scratch's turntable? As you can see here, in a marketing shot from earlier in the year that we've managed to get hold of (so things may have changed slightly since then), Scratch is not kidding around. Its got a "free-spinning, touch-sensitive turntable wheel", five coloured buttons and a small crossfader, all on a functional, if somewhat drab, hunk of grey plastic put together by (or at least licensed by) real turntable manufacturers Numark. [This game] is targeting a more specific audience: hip-hop and RnB fans.

Numark FTW!

Head over to Kotaku for the full story, including song details and pricing.

Thanks to my friend Ben for the lead

First Pic Of DJ Hero Turntable Controller

Check it out! Activision just released this pic of the interface for its upcoming DJ Hero. Here's a bit of info:

The company's groundbreaking DJ Hero expands Guitar Hero's signature social gaming to all-new consumers with the addition of diverse music genres including hip-hop, R&B, Motown, electronica and dance. Introducing an all-new innovative turntable controller, DJ Hero transforms players into DJs who rule the club scene by creating original mixes of popular songs and music from the world's most exciting artists and DJs.

As someone who DJ's myself, I have a few thoughts. Now obviously we don't know everything there is to know about the controller at this stage; we have a photograph and that's about it. BUT -- looking at the photo, we can make some observations and bring up potential issues to address.

First, where is the cross-fader? Every DJ on earth uses a cross-fader to transition from one song to the next. Second, would it have killed the designers at Activision to include a pitch slider? The pitch slider is used to speed-up or slow-down the speed of the record and makes it possible to "beat match." Good god almighty, did Activision not bother to consult with any real-world DJs when they were designing this thing... like maybe Paul Oakenfold or Tiesto maybe...?

Here's a hypothetical. Maybe Activision is selling the DJ Hero turntable controller solo. That way, the consumer can decide whether or not to purchase two of them and link them together. And maybe the company will also offer a mixer interface (also sold separately), since not everyone may be willing to shell out extra cash for the full-tilt experience. Who knows?

In any event, you can read the full press release here.

Thanks to Gizmodo