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Scratch: The Ultimate DJ deck ain't no half-steppin'
"These aren't some made up tricks," scoffs our friendly narrator. "They're authentic scratches heard every night in the hottest clubs in the world." But authenticity -- the act of keeping it real -- doesn't end there for Scratch: The Ultimate DJ's Numark-designed peripheral, the Scratch Deck. Check these street credentials: "the first legitimate DJ controller for video gamers" (oh snap!) "Numark have been at the forefront of turntable production since the 1970s" (before you were even born, son!) "utilizes technology that locks your scratches in the sweet spot of any sample" (bust that scientifical) "build skills that will transfer over to any DJ setup" (who said anything about mad skillz?) "you need beats" (just sayin') "Dr. Dre, Just Blaze and Pete Rock" ( ... just sayin') "The controller," authenticates Mix Master Mike, "very authentic." With that our narrator concludes, "So, now you're up on everything related to Scratch: The Ultimate DJ." But wait, isn't there, like, a video game somehow related to this peripheral? What up with that?Update: So what's up with the game? "The game is coming along quite nicely under the direction of the Commotion Interactive team, and we will be releasing some new assets in a few weeks," a Scratch spokesperson tells Joystiq. And adds, "As of now, the release date is still spring 2010."%Gallery-64266%
Scratch: The Ultimate DJ's development turned to new studio
With most of its legal issues over, Scratch: The Ultimate DJ is ready for a comeback next year under developer Commotion Interactive. The game was previously being created by Activision's 7 Studios, but after a very messy legal entanglement, Scratch DJ Game, LLC -- a joint venture between Numark Industries and Genius Products -- was given the Scratch source code and tools under court order to proceed with development.Commotion's job now is to get the game out for Xbox 360 and PS3 by "early 2010." A representative for Numark informed us that the Scratch Deck peripheral will remain the same, but couldn't confirm whether it would be compatible with DJ Hero. We've also been told the game has taken a slightly different (visual) artistic direction and that new screenshots should be available in the coming weeks.We were also curious about the music selection and licensing in Scratch. MTV Games is the licensing muscle for Harmonix's Rock Band, while Activision has gotten good at licensing with Guitar Hero. Who is Scratch adding to its roster? "Our team is doing a great job of handling the music licensing," the representative said. "We already have agreements with; Kanye West, Run DMC, Outkast and others, with more announcements to come."With DJ Hero set for this year under the mighty marketing banner of Activision, Scratch will definitely need that special magic to make a commotion upon release.
One turntable to rule them all: DJ Hero vs Scratch: The Ultimate DJ
Click image to compare With two high profile DJ-'em-up games coming out in DJ Hero and Scratch: The Ultimate DJ, many are likely scratching their heads at which turntable and promised experience is going to be superior. Well, we can't comment on the latter (until E3, anyway), but we can take a look at the two competing controllers. We stacked them side-by-side for your viewing pleasure and compared all the known details in our gallery below. Enjoy!%Gallery-64266%
Scratch: The Ultimate DJ shows off its ultimate deck
Click to embiggen Scratch: The Ultimate DJ is ready to reveal the plastic peripheral that'll take up your precious living room real estate. The Numark-designed deck will certainly keep wannabe game DJs quibbling whether it's better than DJ Hero's deck.The Numark deck features a free-spinning, touch sensitive turntable (uh, the thing on the left in the photo) and a crossfader with 5 Akai Pro MPC-style drum pads, allowing players to trigger samples -- you know, just like real DJs. Players can use one of the 60 samples shipping with the game or "record and upload their own ... using a compatible USB microphone." Oh, and don't worry, lefties, the deck is flippable.We'll be certain to give our hands-on scratch impressions next week at E3, where the unit will be available.%Gallery-64264%
Rumor: Scratch: The Ultimate DJ to use MP3 turntable
Should it ever make it into stores, Genius Products' Scratch: The Ultimate DJ might come with a very cool bonus. According to a tweet from producer Quincy Jones III (at least, we think it's really QDIII -- the account is linked from his Myspace account), the turntable controller used for the game will have extra functionality beyond the game. QDIII's tweet: "The scratch video game also has a real mp3 turn table with a functional fader, just like the real thing... will keep you posted on updates."If this turns out to be used for Scratch, it will mean that the fake musical instrument for the game is also a real musical instrument -- no modding required. We can't help but wonder, with all the lawsuits happening, if Activision is daring enough to "spontaneously" have the same idea for DJ Hero.%Gallery-33928%[Via The Koalition]
Scratch: The Ultimate DJ drama continues as 7 Studios countersues
The tangled web of developers, publishers and the various lawsuits between them, has just gotten that much more complex as 7 Studios countersues Scratch: The Ultimate DJ publishers Genius Products. According to court documents obtained by The Cut Scene blog, 7 Studios is asking for $1 million in damages, allegedly attributed to a variety of "unlawful and unsavory business practices." Among them, 7 Studios alleges Genius Products repeatedly delayed production of the game, didn't deliver various assets on time (music, that is), considered creating a Nintendo Wii version of the game (then subsequently canceled it), and when things didn't work out, tried to cut and run. In so many words, 7 Studios is accusing Genius of asking them to create a game without adequate support and then, when the game was nearly finished, trying to shop it out to other publishers. We've reached out to all parties involved (repeatedly) and, like the Cut Scene blog, heard nothing back. We'll update this post accordingly if we hear anything, but at this point, we're suggesting that you don't hold your breath. [Image]
The sordid history of Scratch: The Ultimate DJ
In the pending lawsuit between DJ Hero publisher Activision and Scratch: The Ultimate DJ co-publishers Genius Products and Numark, all we've heard are each sides' allegations and condemnations of the other. What we haven't heard, however, was the long and messy tale leading up to the current state of things between former Scratch developer 7 Studios (now owned by Activision), Genius Products and, apparently, Brash Entertainment. Yes -- that Brash Entertainment.According to The Cut Scene, Scratch began development in 2007, allegedly by 7 Studios and Brash Entertainment. In summer of the same year, Brash decided to focus on licensed properties and sold off the IP to Genius Products. The piece further alleges that by late last year, Genius Products was having financial problems and was not so much being courted by major publishers (including MTV, EA, Ubisoft and, yes, Activision) as it was trying to sell off a seemingly toxic asset. If The Cut Scene's anonymous sources are to be believed, there's a lot more going on here than it would seem.
Activision responds to Scratch lawsuit, court denies restraining order
Moving into day three of Breakin' (the law) 2: Electric Boogaloo, Activision has fired back at Scratch: The Ultimate DJ LLC (Numark and Genius Products' joint business venture). It says allegations made in the lawsuit "are disingenuous and lack any merit," and backs up that statement with the Los Angeles Superior Court's decision not to grant a restraining order against the mega-publisher. Furthermore, Activision claims that Genius Products is scapegoating the publisher, explicitly stating, "These allegations are nothing more than an attempt by Genius [Products] to place blame for the game's delays, as well as to divert attention from the cash flow, liquidity and revenue challenges Genius detailed in its Mar. 30 SEC filing." The press release makes no mention of the "nine custom-manufactured turntable and beat-button game controllers" allegedly belonging to Numark nor the current state of development of Scratch: The Ultimate DJ, presumably still being held by Activision-owned 7 Studios. It does, however, tell us that the lawsuit will have "no effect" on the development of Activision's own DJ-based rhythm game, DJ Hero. We've asked Activision for its official side of the story and will update this post accordingly as news develops.Update: Activision has responded to our request for comment with, "Unfortunately, we do not have anything more to comment outside of the statement we put out."
Activision: The Ultimate Lawsuit -- day two
Day two of news regarding the Scratch: The Ultimate DJ LLC vs. Activision lawsuit has arrived, and with it a comprehensive analysis of the "full 30-page complaint" by way of Gamasutra. Before we launch into that though, we first put this question to you, dearest readers: What the heck do we call this thing? Scratch-gate? Court Scratch Fever? Breakin' (the law) 2: Electric Boogaloo? You tell us!Aside from the litany of information we already know, the piece paints an interesting tale of tortuous interference on the side of DJ Hero publisher Activision ostensibly strong-arming Scratch: The Ultimate DJ developer Genius Products (and its partner, Numark) into releasing its game later than Activision's. Furthermore, the suit alleges that 7 Studios, former contracted developer of Scratch for Genius Products (and recently purchased by Activision), is still withholding "nine custom-manufactured turntable and beat-button game controllers" belonging to Numark.To help break down the analysis with significantly more expertise and clarity, we contacted LGJ columnist Mark Methenitis, who had this to say:"If you thought Silicon Knights vs. Epic had the potential to get ugly, imagine the stakes when the next major branch of the music game genre hangs in the balance. Taking Genius's claims at face value, Activision is basically trying to bully them out of the market so that Activision's own DJ Hero can become the top billing DJ-based music game. This is similar to the claim that Silicon Knights made, where they alleged Epic was neglecting the Unreal Engine 3 licensees to benefit Gears of War. The major difference here is when Activision couldn't buy the game, it bought the developer to control the game's development and attempt to force the hand of Genius. This gets into tortuous interference with the existing development agreement, the basic gist of which is that as a third party, you're not allowed to interfere with someone else's contract. Of course, there's likely another side to this story, which I'm sure Activision will present in its answer to Genius's claims."
Scratch: The Ultimate DJ developer sues Activision
In a David and Goliath story for the ages, Scratch: The Ultimate DJ LLC (a partnership between Genius Products and Numark formed to develop and publish the game of the same name) have revealed a mountain of details regarding a lawsuit against mega-publisher Activision. The lawsuit alleges Activision and 7 Studios -- contract developer for Genius Products -- have intentionally "conspired to withhold the current version of Scratch in an effort to delay the development and release" of the game. Scratch: The Ultimate DJ LLC is seeking the immediate return of its game as well as "other injunctive relief."Trevor Drinkwater, president of Genius Products, is quoted as saying, "We believe that Activision and 7 Studios have improperly used confidential information obtained from Genius and 7 Studios to interfere with our efforts to complete the game. In short, we believe that Activision is attempting to sabotage the release of our much anticipated game and prevent it from getting to market prior to the release of DJ Hero." Fighting words indeed! Interestingly, the details revealed this evening also outline Activision's attempt to "acquire" Scratch: The Ultimate DJ from Genius Products, who apparently rebuffed the attempt. Allegedly, Activision then proceeded to purchase 7 Studios and "conspired to prevent Scratch from getting to market on a timely basis" through a variety of means, including withholding "work product, code, and the proprietary game controller." We've still heard nothing from Activision regarding this lawsuit and due to the late arrival of this information, likely won't hear a response from the publisher until tomorrow at the earliest. We can, however, assure you this won't be the last time we hear about this.
Scratch: The Ultimate DJ: The First Trailer
MTV Multiplayer recently got its hands on the first-ever trailer for the upcoming 7 Studios/Mix Master Mike supercollider project, Scratch: The Ultimate DJ. The video contains a little bit of everything -- some gameplay footage (multicolored buttons on a track), some of the featured contributing musicians (Black Eyed Peas, Beastie Boys and Kanye West) and a few of the characters with which you'll be spinning vinyl (horrendously disfigured urban stereotypes). You can check it out after the break, but only if you live in the US. MTV's embeddable video player absolutely hates foreigners.
Kanye, Run DMC and Beastie Boys headline Scratch: The Ultimate DJ
Dust off your oversized headphones and brush up on your DJ skills, because Genius Products and 7 Studios just announced that Scratch: The Ultimate DJ will release with a library of over sixty songs.The complete list of tracks has yet to be revealed, but songs from Kanye West, Beastie Boys and Run DMC are already set to appear on our digital turntables during Q2 2009, on both PS3 and Xbox 360 platforms. Maybe with a more mainstream catalog of music, Scratch can carve out a space in the DJ market. "Intergalactic" by Beastie Boys "Flashing Lights" by Kanye West "Let's Get it Started" by The Black Eyed Peas "Slacker" by Tech N9ne "Don't Sweat the Technique" by Eric B. and Rakim Other Songs From: Run DMC, The Gorillaz, Nelly and Deltron 3030
Scratch offers Numark-controlled Guitar Hero for hip-hop heads
Are the blatant rockist tendencies of Guitar Hero and Rock Band ruining your enjoyment of those otherwise brilliant titles? Of course they are -- we noted your b-boy flava from two blocks away. But don't sweat it because Genius Products, 7 Studios and Quincy Jones III have your niche in their sights and will happily sell you Scratch: The Ultimate DJ when it hits the stores sometime in Spring 2009. With a game controller designed by Numark (known worldwide for its DJ controllers -- there's an example for you after the break), the game will be available for the Xbox 360 and PS3 and feature tracks by "many" (as yet unnamed) hip-hop artists. Trevor Drinkwater, President and CEO of Genius Products promises all and sundry "a cutting-edge game that captures the vital energy of hip-hop culture." And here we thought they were cynically jumping on the Guitar Hero bandwagon! We stand corrected.
The Halo universe expands into board games
Because Haloclix just didn't fill the tabletop Halo niche market, Genius Products, B1 Games and Microsoft have teamed up to create a new strategic Halo board game that's set to hit retailers this September. No joke!The Halo Interactive Strategy game will feature characters and themes from Halo, Halo 2 and Halo 3 using 3D collectible figures in tandem with a "modular board that can be re-configured" that allows players to strategically battle it out board game style. It'll also somehow incorporate a DVD ... somehow. Not much else is known about the game's features or pricing (sorry, no pictures either), but we do know that it'll support expansion packs of some sort. You can color us interested, but we'd really like to see what the board game actually looks like. Heck, if all else fails, just release and mini version of the Halo 3 diorama and we'd be happy campers.[Via HBO]
Line Rider 2 draws up more screens
IGN has a bunch of new screens up for Line Rider 2: Unbound, including some basic shots of the game's playback editor.It's clear that the site has also had some hands-on time with the game -- we know this because an IGN bod has scrawled out the letters "IGN" for their rider to coast along. Predictable, yes, but it's more original than the anatomically wonky genitalia that most of you us will draw upon first getting the title. As we saw in recent footage, Line Rider 2 looks like it will be sticking to the original Flash game fairly faithfully, so it's only reasonable to assume that we'll be experimenting with the same childish drawings in the DS version.Sketch out a line and slide past the break for more shots.%Gallery-21530%
Genius Products digital content coming to Netflix, CinemaNow and VUDU
Genius Products, a home video firm responsible for distributing DVDs for companies such as Tartan Films, ESPN, Discovery Communications, ImaginAsian, Sesame Workshop, World Wrestling Entertainment and IFC Films, has just inked non-exclusive rights agreements with CinemaNow, Netflix and VUDU in order to distribute select digital content throughout the US. Unfortunately, the terms are mostly being kept under wraps, but we are told that the aforesaid trio will have "non-exclusive rights to digitally deliver and distribute certain non-Weinstein Genius Products' titles." Though it goes without saying, be sure to keep an eye out for more material to pop up if you use one of these three services.
First screens and video of Line Rider DS
The first real screens of DS Line Rider show a game with more visual detail than the original, in that there is some visual detail. In this snow setting (they might all be snow settings? It is a sled game, after all), it appears that your drawn lines create an actual landscape that your rider follows. You'll draw your line on the bottom screen, and then it will move to the top when you play, so you can control the playback on the touchscreen. Also found in the screens is an interesting tool that lets you alter a line by picking it up at a point and dragging it, which allows you to maintain a connected line. However, the first video of the game shows the traditional Line Rider look in playback. Without knowing exactly what the deal is, we're guessing that you can preview a line before generating the snow, or that maybe you can change the game's look to a "classic" mode or something.
Line Rider coming to PC, Wii, DS this summer
It's been a while since we talked about the cult flash physics game Line Rider. Last we heard, developer InXile Entertainment snatched up the rights to the project, with the intent to release it on DS and Wii. Now, industry newbie Genius Products has announced intentions to publish the game on the DS, Wii, and PC, with all three versions due out this summer.Genius Products has up to now specialized in the distribution of home entertainment products like DVDs. With Line Rider, the Weinstein Holdings company is moving into the game publishing market, hopefully with a hit product. The retail versions of Line Rider will include a level creator mode with the ability to share creations online, but will also feature a single player puzzle mode with, inconceivably enough, a storyline. As Bosh -- the "clever and cunning" protagonist -- players must traverse over forty sled-riding puzzles to reclaim their true love Bailey from the hands of the "sled-stealing scumbag" Chaz (seriously). The pre-made Line Rider levels were notably designed by TechDawg, the #1 Line Rider player in the world. Let's hope this big(ger)-budget, plot-driven version of the freeware classic is still, above all else, fun.[Via DS Fanboy]
Genius Products pencilling in Line Rider for summer
Genius Products is a home entertainment company that seems to focus on DVD publishing. They're expanding into video games with the DS, PC, and Wii retail releases of inXile Entertainment's Line Rider. In the press release announcing the company's new business, Genius revealed that they are planning to release Line Rider this summer on all three platforms.The press release also promises "over 40 mind-bending puzzles created by the #1 Line Rider player in the world, TechDawg" in addition to the abilty (of course) to draw your own puzzles and share them online. Try to upload at least a few non-vulgar ones.[Via GamesPress]
