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Spotify welcomes new apps from Warner, Def Jam, Matador, more
So, now that Rdio's got itself a fancy redesign, it's time for Spotify to fire back, right? The Swedish streaming service announced a new round of third-party apps, including selections from some big industry names, like Warner, Def Jam, Domino and Matador Records. The list also includes Classify, an app designed to help users discover classical music on the service, The Complete Collection, which offers up supplementary images, lyrics and liner notes and Fitr, which lets you build playlists based on Facebook friends. Also new is Hot or Not, which offers a song-based take on the internet voting site and [PIAS], which provides some curated playlists. In all, the site is rolling out a dozen new apps. Check the press release after the break for more info.
Hulk Hogan's old balls are in this Def Jam Rapstar ad
An important note to the Def Jam Rapstar marketing team, regarding the ad you'll find after the break: When a schizophrenic, liquor-soaked homeless man smashes into your conference room and shouts, "Just show Hulk Hogan rapping with his old balls fully out there and everything! Also, Jimmy Hart, Mouth of the South, have him a-movin' and a-shaking nearby! Coo-poo-pa-loo!" the proper response is to call security. The wrong thing to do is thoughtfully stroke your chin and say, "Well, maybe if we censored the old balls?" Sincerely, Joystiq [Update: OK, so apparently they're not. We're not sure if we're more or less horrified. Thanks, Gary.]
Pull up your pants and check out these new Def Jam Rapstar tracks
Def Jam Rapstar gets another 7 tracks deeper today, adding cuts by Busta Rhymes, DMX, Fat Joe, Ja Rule, Lil' Jon and Twista to the official track listing, in addition to another "oldie" by Public Enemy. As with all songs in the game, these will be edited versions, though it's as yet unclear if the censoring suits have finally caught on to the meaning of Lil' Jon's insistence that we all "skeet, skeet" on ... the windows and walls, is it? Of course, players will be invited to invent their own catchy hooks in Freestyle Mode, which today adds a trio of beats from DJ Premiere, Bangladesh and Just Blaze, who has contributed the appropriately dubbed "8 Bit" production. Check out the full update and a new video promo after the break.%Gallery-101839%
New Def Jam Rapstar tracks make it considerably hotter in herre
To quote world-renowned poet and philosopher Nelly: "Good gracious, these tracks are bodacious." Only, well, he doesn't say tracks. He says something else entirely, as you'll likely see upon your first playthrough of Def Jam Rapstar -- a recently announced batch of songs for the rhythm title include Nelly's seminal summer hit "Hot in Herre," alongside similarly beloved jams from Nas, Method Man, Public Enemy and more. Check out the full list of new tracks for the title posted after the jump. Also, and we're not trying to start a fuss, but -- we're still waiting on "Parents Just Don't Understand." Don't let us down, Def Jam. %Gallery-98923%
Def Jam Rapstar track listing adds Tribe, Pun, Luda and more
4mm Games went digging in the crates and pulled out some infectious tracks for the latest update to the Def Jam Rapstar roster. The seven additions, spanning nearly two decades, feature classics and more recent hits, from A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario" to Big Pun's "Still Not a Player" onto Ludacris' "Stand Up." But does it get any more buck wild than Onyx's "Slam?" (Warning: Backdafucup when that joint comes on.) Additionally, 4mm Games has announced that the game's freestyle mode will feature "exclusive" instrumentals by producers Cool & Dre and DJ Khalil -- as if the main sing-along mode wasn't already designed to expose the living room MC who has no business in the rap game. Check out the complete list of revealed tracks after the break. %Gallery-97147%
Method Man and Redman to blow up the mic at E3
Method Man and Redman are teaming up to make E3 feel 'dis, with the rap duo set to make an appearance at the show on behalf of Def Jam Rapstar. They'll be doing some of their hits live for conference goers at the Konami booth on Wednesday, June 16 at 4 p.m. PDT. Frankly, we can't imagine a better way to go through E3 than hearing "Cereal Killer" blast throughout the convention center. Def Jam Rapstar busts a funky rhyme on October 5.
October 5 is a good day to release Def Jam Rapstar
"I even saw the lights of the Goodyear Blimp, and it read 'click to open the gallery.'"Konami has announced release dates for Def Jam Rapstar, the Def Jam game that is actually about rapping and not about rappers beating one another unconscious. 4mm Games' karaoke title will be released on October 5 in North America, with each game/microphone bundle retailing for $69.99 on PS3 and Xbox 360, and $59.99 on Wii. The game will be out "the week of November 2, 2010" in Europe. The company also announced that Primo and Just Blaze will provide background for the game's Freestyle Mode. For less creative types, seven more songs were added to the tracklist, including total classics "Just a Friend," "It Was a Good Day," and, in what is guaranteed to create awkward fun at parties, Salt-n-Pepa's "Push It." Push it real good past the break to see all the additions.
Def Jam Rapstar dropping exclusive tracks on Europe
It's only fitting that Def Jam Rapstar will include exclusive tracks for Europe -- the birthplace of rap. Wait -- what? You heard that right, but before we explain, let's go over the exclusive tracks by region: UK -- Tinie Tempah's "Pass Out" and Dizzee Rascal's "Fix Up, Look Sharp" France -- NTM featuring Lord Ko's "Ma Benz" and Sefyu's "Molotov 4" Germany -- Sido's "Mein Block (Beathoavenz remix)" and Kool Savas's "Futurama" So, about that rap origin story: Modern rap actually originated during the mid-70s in a suburb of Munich, Germany known as Freising. The heavy beats and lyrical dexterity of the genre were perfected in a small parking lot near the Brennergasse by a group of former tuba players who'd practice weekly after hitting the Weihenstephaner a bit too hard. True story. We swear ... ... Fingers crossed.
European PSN releases for December 22
Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! Wait, it is Christmas Eve, right? These PSN updates always come on Thursdays, and Christmas is on Friday so ... wait, it's Tuesday? Well, it looks like someone at Sony Europe pressed the "Release Stuff onto the PSN" button a bit too early. Either that, or they didn't want to work on the 24th. No, Europeans usually have an unflappable work ethic -- this must be some kind of mistake. Regardless, there's a whole bunch of savory morsels in this week's update, including the LittleBigPlanet Pirates of the Caribbean pack, Vagrant Story and the Adhoc Party application. Check them all out after the jump! Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
European PSN releases for December 17
It's a holiday miracle! Though there are a few intriguing items in this week's PSN update (such as the long overdue release of Braid, a demo for Army of Two: The 40th Day and Beatles: Rock Band's "Rubber Soul" DLC), the highlight of this latest update is the delectable set of discounts. Some games have had their prices temporarily reduced, such as Battlefield 1943 and Burnout Paradise. Others, such as Puzzle Quest and The Cube, have been permanently encheapened. Click past the jump to see the full list of additions and discounts! Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
European PSN releases for October 1
We hope you've been regularly exercising your ocular muscles -- they'll need to be pretty beefy to make it through this weeks European PSN update. There's a smattering of stuff that's been added for the PS3, the most notable of which being Watchmen costumes in LittleBigPlanet, but the star of this week's show is the PSP Go. Check out the list after the jump for a full list of downloadable titles now available for the platform. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
New Def Jam Rapstar screens still not impressing us
click to Rapstar-size We've seen nearly nothing of Def Jam Rapstar since we got a chance to check it out at E3 this year, though today 4mm passed along a handful of new screens. Here's the thing: It's more of the same stuff we've already seen. A couple screens do offer a glimpse at the community features and user video upload features, but the majority just give us more shots of menus or points screens.We like hip hop, we even like some rap -- with that in mind, we're left wondering what Def Jam and 4mm are thinking by showing off Young Jeezy and T.I. instead of Notorious B.I.G.'s 'Hypnotize' or even Pete Rock & CL Smooth's "T.R.O.Y." (both of which were playable at E3), two songs that actually highlight major rap stars. While we wait for more info on the game, we'll remain hopeful that Def Jam Rapstar will become something more than SingStar Mostly Pop Rap.%Gallery-64860%
4mm unveils Def Jam Rapstar
Ask anyone who knows us: Joystiq understands hip-hop culture. So does the recently-revealed 4mm which today unveiled its maiden project: Def Jam Rapstar, a trailer for which we've nestled lovingly after the break. How do you know it's speaking to the hip-hop community so well with its new rapping game? Because CEO Nicholas Perrett manages to use the phrases "games that live long beyond the box," "MMO-esque," "long tail" and "game-like" in a single paragraph of the announcement story. Street? Street. As for actual gameplay, we know only that it will include rapping. We'll let you know more at E3. [Thanks, Storm Eagle]
Worldwide PS3 releases for the week of June 18th
It's that time again. Time to look over the coming week's offerings and either laugh or cry. Or both. The releases for this week are as follows. US Games No new releases EU Games Armoured Core 4 Asian Games FolksSoul Def Jam Icon Interesting stuff. The Japanese have had two potentially excellent games released in the last two weeks. While we know that Ninja Gaiden Sigma includes English text and voices, we're not yet certain about FolksSoul. We have our suspicions and will keep you informed as soon as we find out. Don't forget, your PS3 just loves playing games from any country. Seriously. Loves it. So if there's something on the list you fancy, then don't be put off by its region. Release dates are in a constant flux, so be sure to call ahead before wasting a trip to the shops.
Scratch it up with a signed copy of ICON
Admittedly, Def Jam: ICON isn't for everybody. It takes what was a wrestling game and turns it into a bizarre kind of fighting game. We had mixed feelings for the game when the demo released earlier this year. Still, we'd be hard-pressed to turn down any game that's free. We'd be even more hard-pressed to turn down a free game that has also been signed by the entire development team. If you like free stuff as much as we do, then why not head over to Unscripted 360, where 5 signed copies of ICON are being given away. Not only that, but the grand prize winner gets a signed ICON poster as well. What do you have to do to win? Lay down some fresh hotness in the form of hip-hop lyrics, of course! If you think you can spit with the best of 'em, visit Unscripted 360 for your chance to win. [Thanks, Channing Lee]
NPD: March belongs to DS, PS2
The sheer anticipation that builds up around the NPD Group's monthly video game sales data is like an immense fanboy volcano just waiting to erupt. Predictions are made, forum wars are waged and in the end, some worshippers are left in agony as the facts (here represented by hot molten lava) eat away at their pale flesh. But on to cooler topics -- total industry sales are up by 33%! The detailed GameDaily BIZ report reveals that total hardware sales rose by 69% in March to $370 million. Of that, console hardware raked in $257 million, making for an increase of 93%. NPD analyst Anita Frazier calls it an "outstanding month," though some console manufacturers might not share that particular sentiment. The North American console sales for March are as follows: Nintendo DS: 508K Sony PlayStation 2: 280K Nintendo Wii: 259K (2.1 million total) Microsoft Xbox 360: 199K (5.3 million total) Sony PSP: 180k Nintendo Game Boy Advance: 148K Sony PlayStation 3: 130K (1.2 million total) Nintendo Gamecube: 22K Microsoft Xbox: N/A
Def Jam Icon demo heads to the PlayStation Store
On Thursday (tomorrow), Sony will be updating the PlayStation Store with a new playable demo that (shock!) isn't a racing game: Def Jam Icon. EA's music-inspired fighter hasn't earned the greatest critical praise, but at a price of "free," it'll probably be worthwhile to check out the demo. Also available on the store will be videos of the already-released Resistance: one trailer and three behind-the-scenes features that cover gameplay, concept art and level design. [Via 1UP]
Def Jam: Icon tournaments at Gamestop
Gamestop is partnering with EA to host a few Def Jam: Icon tournaments around the US before the game is released. The tournaments will be hosted at various Gamestop and EB Games stores at different dates in four cities. The tournaments will kick off in Atlanta tomorrow and will start in the coming weeks in Chicago, Los Angles and New York. Also, at random stores, there will be a rap artist stopping by to partake in the activities and show you how a real rapper throws down. So far only Fat Joe has been confirmed at the Union City SWM Gamestop store in Atlanta, but more artists will be announced when the other tournaments near. And if you attend any tournament in Atlanta please post your impressions of not only the tournament, but how much you enjoyed your time with Def Jam: Icon. Head over to Gamestop's official page for dates, locations and more information ... yah dig? [Via Gamertag Radio]
Def Jam: Icon: we're speechless
We have no idea what to think about Def Jam: Icon. On one hand, it has some interesting, new dynamics for a fighting game. On the other, it doesn't seem to come together as solidly as a good fighting game should. The graphics are nice and the sound is bangin', but something is missing. Read on for our impressions of the demo.
Def jam demo hits the streets
The announced Def Jam: Icon demo is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace for Gold members. The Xbox 360 has been woefully short of fighting games so far, other than Dead or Alive 4 and a few Xbox Live Arcade offerings. Will Def Jam: Icon bring us new hope, or will we be stuck waiting for Virtua Fighter 5? You'll just have to download it and see. Expect some impressions of the demo later today.
