The video above doesn’t show much gameplay or gives you any hints as to the tracks that are on the game but gives you the history of the company that is making the game.  Most DJs know the name Numark and Akai, but to us regular geek folk that might be buying the game, those two names mean nothing to us.  Names like Activision and Harmonix mean more.

After playing DJ Hero a lot, I think scratch will have decent sales with their game.  It looks just like DJ Hero but with a few more buttons that aren’t on the turntable.  I foresee it being a competitor just like Guitar Hero and Rock Band. But it’ll all come down to music tracks.  DJ Hero has a lot of tracks I’m in love with, but Numark defintely has connections to more of the hip-hop community.

What do you guys think? Will this new game live up to the standards DJ Hero has laid down?

Full press release after the break. (more…)

If you haven’t got it by now, our podcast titles usually have nothing to do with the episode. But, what we actually talked about was:

• 4 games that most people are on the fence on buying
• Censorship in Australia on Left 4 Dead 2
• Kojima likes Twilight
• Spain on track to opening a space hotel on 2012
• JoeThePeacock’s 2nd book, Still Mentally Incontinent, is on sale. 2 for 1!

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For the past six days, I’ve been playing DJ Hero a lot.  Not non-stop, but a lot.  Anytime I’ve had a chance between my busy work schedule and the two Halloween parties, I would be playing DJ Hero.  For the people that are still on the fence on this new music rhythm game, go past the break for my review.

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I’m big fan of Daft Punk and after hearing that they are putting in 10 mixes into DJ Hero, I knew I had to preorder it.  More and more I’m getting excited about this game.  Now, after seeing the above TV commercial, I’m going crazy.  I feel like DJ Hero is going to be even bigger than Guitar Hero and Rock Band.

“But Nelson, why would I say such a thing?!”

Because, after taking another glance at the full track list, there doesn’t seem to be any one song that anyone would not want to play.  For instance, how many of you go through your list of songs in Guitar Hero or Rock Band and go, “meh.” Exactly my point.  Also, if you’re still on the fence about DJ Hero, let me remind you about one track that will be in the game.

Vanilla Ice – “Ice Ice Baby” vs. MC Hammer – “U Can’t Touch This”

Yea. I know. Awesome. Go to your local Best Buy, GameStop, or wherever you pre-order games now.  I have a feeling this game will be selling out everywhere.

I got to play DJ Hero over the past weekend at my local GameStop.  After just playing 2 songs, I immediately knew that this game would be an instant hit.  This game hit my musical heart and made me very happy.  It’s a bit like the iPhone’s Tap Tap Revenge, but with “scratching” and use of a crossfader.  The game is extremly easy to pick up.  The only learning curve is the crossfader.  I could see a lot of people getting hung up on that aspect of the game, but just like any other rythem game out in the market, all it takes is a little practice.

I really can’t wait for this game to come out.  I’m most excited about the track list of the game.  You see, I’m a huge fan of mash-ups and rhythm games.  If you’re like me, you’ll definitely be getting this game. But, there are some people that are already giving it a thumbs down, like monkeymanD from reddit:

If I could sum it up in one thought, it would be this. Playing DJ Hero felt like playing some new fancy digital form of Bop It. It felt too much like you were just juggling a few different odd actions rather than actually coordinating your actions to accomplish an end. A toy, good for a short burst of amusement, but it will never even get close to the success of that good ol’ plastic guitar.

I could see his point of it being another “digital form of Bop It.” But I think the huge difference, to me, is the track list.  I doubt Bop It will ever have a Daft Punk track on it. So, readers, did you get a chance to play it over the weekend? If so, will you be pre-ordering or buying it?

I’m a big fan of Mash-Ups.  I acted like a gitty little schoolgirl when I saw and heard Jay-Z perform live with Linkin Park.  I still love it when I find great mash-ups on YouTube.  Then I heard about a game called DJ Hero that will let me act like I know how to mash-up songs and I just went nuts.  After seeing the demo played on stage at E3, I knew that I was going to get the game.  This was even before I saw any tracks revealed from the game.  Now, the full list has surfaced on the internets and I cannot wait for this to get into my living room already.  To see all 95 mashed-up tracks, go past the break.

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DJ Hero has posted a new clip to show you a new song produced and mixed by J. Period. Just by looking at the clip and imagining that I had the controller with me at my desk, I started pretending I was playing the game. You know, kind of like when you’re waiting for your turn on the DDR machine, so you start playing right next to it. After some pretending, the game seems kinda complicated. But, I guess I won’t know how complicated it really is until I get my hands on it. Oh holiday season. You’re really going to burn a hole through my wallet this year.

If you haven’t heard yet, the technologic men from outer space (or France), Daft Punk, will be featured in DJ Hero.  Not only will their likeness and songs be in the game, but also some special remixes by Daft Punk.

Daft Punk “Around the World” vs. Young MC “Bust A Move”
Daft Punk “Da Funk” vs. NASA “Strange Enough ft. Karen O, ODB and Fatlip”
Daft Punk “Da Funk” vs. Queen “Another One Bites the Dust”
Daft Punk “Robot Rock” vs. Hashim “Al-Naafiysh (The Soul)” – Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts
Daft Punk “Robot Rock” vs. Queen “We Will Rock You”
Daft Punk “Short Circuit” vs. Boogie Down Productions “Jack Of Spades”
Daft Punk “Technologic” vs. Gary Numan “Cars”
Daft Punk “Television Rules The Nation” vs. No Doubt “Hella Good”

DJ Hero comes out October 27, 2009.

Numark has released their video introducing the gameplay of and most importantly the controller of their game, Scratch.  Of course this is a game that will be going against DJ Hero this fall.  Numark is the most respected name for DJ equipment and has been making turntables for a very long time.  So, when it came time to create a controller for a DJ simulation game, they would be the ones that could create a very authentic DJ experience.

Now, going against DJ Hero, both games have their pros and cons.

DJ Hero:

• 3 buttons on the turntable
• An effects dial
• Activision/Blizzard name to back it up
• Has 10 special songs to play with a friend with a Guitar Hero Guitar
• Crossfader
• Can only scratch when the game tells you to
• Available October 27th

Numark’s Scratch

• 5 buttons not on the turntable that act like a drum machine (think Beatmania)
• Crossfader
• Numark is recognized by DJs around the world, but not recognized in the gaming industry
• Ability to scratch the turntable whenever you feel like it for more points
• Numark might have a better song selection due to their reputation in the Hip-Hop music scene
• No way to play with a guitarist for “mash-up” type play
• Available September 15th

Click to Play

Over at the Activision booth, they demoed DJ Hero. Not knowing anything about the game except for the turntable, I was impressed. I’m a big fan of music mash-ups like Linkin Park and Jay-Z’s Collision Course (don’t judge me). So, a game with this type of music, instantly got my attention. At first, the scratching and switch of the tracks using the crossfader got me confused. But just like any new game, it just takes some time and practice to get used to it. In the second part of the video, you’ll see that if you have a Guitar Hero guitar controller, you can also use that for 2 player fun. But there is only 10 special tracks you can play with both the Guitar Hero guitar and the DJ hero turntable.

DJ Hero release September 30th, 2009.