Posted by: Shola Akinnuso on October 27, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Activision’s hip-hop/electronica music DJ game, DJ Hero hit stores today. With the arguably prohibitively priced $120.00 tag, one wonders if Activision’s marketing advertised the game enough? Kotaku reported yesterday that Activision had begun lowering its projected sales numbers for the title.
NPR recently posted an excellent feature on DJ Hero via it’s pop culture section which you can listen to above. Admittedly, the peripheral isn’t as recognizable as a guitar or drum set, so perhaps Guitar Hero sales expectations might be optimistic. Still, having played the preview build and being continually astounded by the pedigree of high-quality hip-hop mash-ups, DJ Hero is the game you NEED to play if you want a fresh change from Guitar Hero.
From DJ AM to DJ Jazzy Jeff, the mix-masters in the game are superstars in the industry. With songs and mash-ups lovingly selected by each DJ, Hero promises to be a exuberant assault on your ears and a loving ode to the evolution of Hip-hop.
We’ll keep you posted with our review when we get the game later this week.
Shola Akinnuso October 28th, 2009
Noted. I’ve not seen nearly the amount of marketing that followed Guitar Hero, though.
Ernie Estrella October 28th, 2009
I don’t think you’re going to see as much action for DJ Hero or its competitor. DJ is a niche crowd, and those who even credit DJs in this modern era of music followers is a shrinking crowd.
Obviously not anyone representing PCS would slight the evolution of the DJ, but it’s honestly an infant art when you put it next to the guitar. Which is fine by me, I don’t think everyone needs to be into it. But my question is the song list. I saw some great songs on DJ Hero but also saw Nirvanna in there too. I love Nirvanna as next as the next guy, but what are they doing in a DJ Game?
Does it take you on a path of the different branches of Deejaying? For instance does it start with hip hop when there was cutting and scratching and mixing? Does the music then take you on a path of House, Prog/Trance, and Techno?
Or will those be different games or future DJ Heroes?
Each of those niches have a wealth of songs to choose from and DJs to emulate, but I question if the controller will let you experience half of the similarity of what Rock Band and GH has provided.
$120 is a steep price. I was hoping more for $100 ($40 for controller + $60 for game). I doubt I’ll be first in line but I gotta see a complete play list and game play for each of these two DJ simulators.
Howard Brown October 31st, 2009
You may see some ‘odd’ songs on the song list, but you have to remember; you’re playing ‘mixes’ not ’songs’.
Each time you’re playing something, it’s two different songs playing at the same time and you’re manipulating them both at the same time with the fader and scratching, rewinding, mixing, etc across both of them to make a unique sound.
So yeah, you may think ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ doesn’t fit in with DJ Hero, but then when you hear LL Cool J’s ‘Rock the Bells’ come in on it with perfect timing it ‘clicks’.
