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Target Pre-Black Friday sale discounts DSi, DJ Hero 2 and more
Whoa, Target. Slow your roll, guys. We've only got enough energy for exactly one three-day period of soul-crushing retail immersion, and that three-day period is next weekend. You can't just come in here with your "we're going to offer deals in the four days preceding Black Friday" attitude. It's not fair. It could kill us. We're just going to post all of Target's video game-themed "Pre-Black Friday" deals -- which will be available Nov. 21 to Nov. 24 -- after the jump, and ignore their relative savoriness. Oh, $30 off the purchase of a DSi? $20 off a new Wii? DJ Hero 2 Turntable Bundle for $75? Psh. We can ... we don't need to ... we are going to run out of money.
Tony Hawk: Shred wobbles first week at retail
In a video game's lifetime, the first-week sales are often the most crucial, representing some of biggest numbers a publisher will ever see for a game. That's why Robomodo's second peripheral-based Tony Hawk title, Shred, seems to have gotten off to a grim start, selling just 3,000 copies in its first week at retail. Speaking with GI.Biz, Investment firm Cowen and Company detailed October's North American retail showings (following yesterday's NPD report) and pointed out that another Activision October release, DJ Hero 2, moved 59,000 copies in its first two weeks of availability. For comparison's sake, those aren't huge sales for DJ Hero 2, but it nearly 20 times more than Shred. These numbers are perhaps least surprising to Shred's developer, Robomodo; the developer cut staff last month and is said to be off the Tony Hawk franchise.
PSA: DJ Hero 2 update for DJ Hero 1 DLC compatibility now available
The promised free "Compatibility Pack" for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of DJ Hero 2 have arrived on their respective digital stores, giving owners the ability to import DJ Hero 1's DLC into the sequel. The game's official Twitter representation announced as much today, clarifying that "some DJ Hero 2 functionality is not supported in this update," specifically listing "freestyle cross-fading, freestyle scratching, and vocals" as the main culprits. Finally, you can once again lose yourself in the music, the moment, you own it, you better never let it go ... sorry! Got a little carried away for a moment there.
Tiesto 'Speed Rail' music video made entirely from DJ Hero 2 footage
Determined to get the most out of his appearance in DJ Hero 2, Tiesto has cut a music video for his track "Speed Rail" using only footage from the game. Well, background footage, anyways. The video doesn't show the player desperately trying to keep up with Tiesto's high-speed crossfading antics.
DJ Hero 2 now available for purchase, Beck still wondering about royalty checks
You seriously can't make this stuff up -- in what can only be assumed is a nod to the one and only Beck, Activision actually is shipping two turntables and a microphone with DJ Hero 2. And that bundle is finally on sale starting today. We'd heard earlier in the year that the company was aiming for a fall release, and sure enough, consumers can get their holiday shopping started early by heading to Best Buy (where they'll receive a hard-shell turntable carrying case), Walmart (where the original DJ Hero will be thrown in gratis when buying the DJ Hero 2 Party Bundle on Wii or Xbox 360) or Amazon (where Linkin Park's A Thousand Suns will be oh-so-graciously tossed in for no charge). Check it right now for $59.99 (software only) to $149.99 (the full monty).
DJ Hero 2 review: A mechanical masterpiece
DJ Hero was a profoundly innovative game -- spun off from a franchise and a publisher rarely applauded for their profound innovation -- tapping into new genres of music and methods of interacting with it. It was, for lack of a better term, lightning in a bottle and, for all its inherent freshness, an awfully difficult act to follow. DJ Hero 2 manages to iterate on the series' debut outing not by introducing new modes or instruments -- okay, it tries to do both of those things with moderate success -- but rather, by polishing the very mechanics of virtual mixmastering to a near-perfect sheen. %Gallery-94635%
Linkin Park DLC, album bonus announced for Guitar Hero and DJ Hero
You're seething with angst that can only be expressed through rap-rock. Activision completely understands. That's why the company is releasing a six-pack of songs from Linkin Park's new "A Thousand Suns" album (cover image above) on October 19 as Guitar Hero DLC. In addition, a set of three remixed Linkin Park songs will be available this winter in DJ Hero 2. If you'd like to hear the rest of that album, you can get a free copy with orders of Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock or DJ Hero 2 from Amazon, between "12:01am PST on October 17 and 11:59pm PST on October 23." This is the second free album to be bundled with Warriors of Rock! In the future, our entire music library will consist of freebies from Activision.
DJ Hero 2 DLC packs coming in Nov., plus original DLC compatibility update
After being curiously absent from the on-disc soundtrack, Jay-Z, one-half of the original DJ Hero promotional duo, returns for a guest verse in the first DJ Hero 2 DLC pack. Available November 2, the Hit Makers Mix Pack bundles three mixes for $8, including a Rihanna's "Umbrella" / Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" mashup. Two weeks later, the Electro Hits Mix Pack will be released, packing decidedly more oomph-oomph. Complete details of both packs are posted after the break. Additionally, a free compatibility update will be released in November to enable support for existing DJ Hero DLC in DJ Hero 2. Activision has not specified if this update will reformat the original DLC to feature new gameplay elements. (The gameplay differential between the first and second games could be a contributing factor in the apparent lack of a soundtrack importing option from DJ Hero 1 to 2 -- that and the race just to complete the DJ Hero 2 content in seven months, not to mention possible music licensing limitations.) DJ Hero 2 will be released next Tuesday, October 19 for PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii.
DJ Hero 2 demos hit Best Buy and the web, new trailer hits our soul
If your lack of a turntable -- or a current-gen gaming console, for that matter -- kept you from enjoying the Xbox Live and PSN demo for DJ Hero 2, you've now got a few other options for channels through which to get a sample portion of the upcoming rhythm sequel. The first, and most accurate method for you to try out the game is to go to your local Best Buy, as DJ Hero 2 demo units have been placed in over 900 of the retailer's locations across the country. A slightly less authentic way to try the game out is to play the flash-based, online demo that was recently added to the game's official site. It boils down the controls to a fairly simple mouse-and-keyboard scheme, but you should get a good idea of what playing the full title is going to feel like. Finally, you can watch a new DJ Hero 2 trailer after the jump, which seems to indicate that playing the game allows you to kiss the braces right off of an attractive girl's mouth, which we don't really remember happening while playing the series' first installment.
DJ Hero 2 made in seven months following enormous vacation
Jamie Jackson, creative director at DJ Hero 2 developer Freestyle Games, told PlayStation UK in an interview recently that the latest title was made in just seven months. The game reportedly kicked off development immediately after a "mass exodus" at the studio, clarified to Joystiq as a "big holiday" for the team. According to Jackson, "15-hour days for quite a long time" resulted in the vast majority of the studio vacationing in places like Ibiza to get the creative juices flowing once more. When everyone was back, the team had to hop right back in the saddle for the sequel. "We had to get straight back on it ... so DJ Hero 2 has been made in around seven months," Jackson explained. And though the team only had a handful of months to get the sequel together, it wasn't interested in putting out "the same game again with different music" -- Jackson got specific, shouting out the new Battle Mixes and Freestyling features as improvements made despite a dramatically shortened development cycle. And now, with the game nearly complete, we have to imagine that various Mediterranean islands are bracing for impact.
DJ Hero 2 pre-order bonuses offer your choice of turntable totes
Activision has outlined the different incentives which retailers are offering to shore up DJ Hero 2 pre-orders -- however, the variation between these bonuses is about as wide as we've ever seen for a video game.
DJ Hero 2 bundles include free DJ Hero in Europe
Kenny Rogers is fond of reminding us "you've got to count your dub-plates before you touch the turntables, because if you run out of big tunes, it means your sound is done." The catch, of course, is that if there's no stopping your party, there's really no way to tell how many is enough. That said, we're pretty sure European purchasers of DJ Hero 2 are going to be in a better position to follow The Gambler's advice when they collect the free copy of DJ Hero, that Activision has announced will be included in their purchase of the Party or Turntable bundle (while supplies last). In total, the deal will net buyers 170 mixes, which we'd assume are enough big tunes. Again though, and we can't stress this enough, there is no way of knowing.
DJ Hero 2 dev diary teaches the art of the freestyle
Sometimes you've just gotta diverge from the game plan and just freestyle it, you know? Like, we were gonna write a post about DJ Hero 2's freestyle gameplay mechanics -- instead, we're talkin' about penny loafers! They're comfortable, fashionable, and ... just watch the video below.
Full DJ Hero 2 soundtrack, all 83 mixes revealed
Aided by the skillful hands of DJ Qbert, DJ Shadow, Tiësto, RZA and other cut chemists, FreeStyleGames has mixed and mashed another eclectic cocktail of beats, rhymes and -- Sam Cooke even! The DJ Hero 2 soundtrack boasts 83 original mixes and the actual words to Snow's "Informer." Peep the full soundtrack after the break -- and sample the new mixes on DJHero.com.
A-Trak and Diplo join DJ Hero 2, Jazzy Jeff and more come back for seconds
DJ Hero 2's already got more than a little turntablist cred with a roster that includes mixes from Tiesto, Deadmau5 and DJ Qbert -- earlier today, things went straight tazy with the addition of a few heavy hitters. Kanye West's touring DJ, A-Trak, and Major Lazer co-founder Diplo will also be contributing to the game's soundtrack, as will prolific DJ Hero 1 mixmasters DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Shadow, DJ Z-Trip and The Scratch Perverts. Man, those guys are disgusting. You can check out a few of the mixes these august musicians are piecing together after the jump. We cannot wait to hear A-Trak mix up "O.P.P." and "ABC," in a mix we'll henceforth refer to as "The Freshest Song About Letters Ever"
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, DJ Hero 2 demos on Xbox Live today
Leery of this fall's literal interpretation of the "Guitar Hero" franchise? In an attempt to assuage your skepticism, Activision has wisely released the Warriors of Rock demo on Xbox Live today. Players can sample "Johnny Napalm's chapter" -- and upgrade the literal hero -- in the quest to save the Demigod of Rock (pictured; with his literal axe). Surprisingly, you still use a plastic guitar to play songs in the game. The demo features the following: Dethklok – "Bloodlines" Black Sabbath – "Children of the Grave" Foo Fighters – "No Way Back" Slash featuring Ian Astbury – "Ghosts" Additionally, the DJ Hero 2 demo is expected on Xbox Live Marketplace today (though it's currently missing from the service) and features the following mixes: "American Boy" (by Estelle featuring Kanye West) mixed with "Good Times" (by Chic) "Don't Cha" (by Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes) mixed with "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" (by Pitbull) "Bounce" (Battle Mix) (by MSTRKRFT featuring N.O.R.E.) "Just Dance" (by Lady Gaga featuring Colby O'Donis ) mixed with "Ghosts N Stuff" (by Deadmau5) As usual, both demos are exclusive to Xbox Live Gold subscribers for one week. (Silver members can today download the R.U.S.E. and Vanquish demos.) Historically, most Hero-brand demos have been exclusive to Xbox Live, and today's demos are not expected for release on PSN when the service updates later today.
RZA confirmed playable in DJ Hero 2, contributes pair of mixes
Activision today officially welcomed RZA to the cast of DJ Hero 2. The legendary Wu-Tang leader's inclusion as a playable character was first hinted at when RZA shared a few images of his mocap costume for an unnamed Activision game back in April. RZA, who often performs as alter-ego Bobby Digital, said of his digitization, "Now, I actually exist in a digital world, yo." Additionally, RZA mixed two tracks for the DJ Hero 2 soundtrack. The first blends LL Cool J's "I Can't Live Without My Radio" with Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five's "The Message," and the second mixes Damian Marley's "Welcome To Jamrock" with Walter Murphy's "A Fifth of Beethoven." (RZA is also featured in the "Dollaz & Sense" Blackroc track licensed for the game; see the complete track listing here.) Catch RZA wax poetic on his journey from paperboy to DJ Hero 2 in the video after the break. "Bong bong!" %Gallery-101145%
Full DJ Hero 2 tracklist revealed by an Informer, a licky boom boom down
It's going to be a good day, and you don't even know it yet. See, Activision just released the full list of songs that will be featured in some spliced manner in DJ Hero 2, meaning you're probably going to spend all day listening to the fresh, fresh songs you don't recognize, and then imagining the fresh, fresh manner in which they'll be blended. We've spent the past half hour envisioning a world where Snow's "Informer" could somehow be married to Major Lazer's "Pon De Floor," with a splash of Tiesto to boot. It's been a pretty great half hour. You can come on this journey with us by checking out the full list of songs posted after the break.
DJ Hero 2's tables turn on October 19 in North America, October 22 in Europe
Ready to queue up a copy of DJ Hero 2 at your favorite retailer? An Activision rep at Gamescom informed Joystiq of the release dates for the music-mixing sequel: October 19 in North America and October 22 in Europe. That means that, in North America at least, DJ Hero will have one full week to shine (and sell) before Rock Band 3 appears and begins tempting shoppers with keytars. Turntable vs. keytar! It's the battle of the bizarro instruments!
DJ Hero 2 dev diary explains how to expand your Empire
A DJ's life isn't all about mixing phat beats and ill rhymes, you know. As the DJ Hero 2 trailer below shows, they've got other things to worry about, too. Things like branding, legacy, and running the hottest dance club within the Ibizan city limits. The kind of concerns we all share.
