A hero unmasked

You may remember, a few months back Activision filed a trademark for a game called DJ Hero. There was no official press release or announcement, leaving some people wondering if they were just covering their bases so no-one else could snatch up the name. Well, that game has now been totally confirmed...... sort of.

While speaking to CNBC, Activision's CEO Bobby Kotick said the following: "We have this product called DJ Hero coming out later this year which is a turntable that you can actually play competitively, spin discs and mix on". There has still been no official announcement of the game, but I think this pretty much confirms it's existence.

The little info that's known about the title tells us that it will play much like Guitar Hero, with colored notes that scroll along the screen and around a "platter". Holding buttons on the controller while scratching the deck is the key to victory, a familiar concept to any fans of current rhythm games. There will also be a whammy-bar-like sound effects dial, and a crossfader, although I don't know exactly what that will be used for. The game will also feature licensed music by popular artists, allowing for fun mash-ups.

So the real question is, are Activision over-saturating the market and diluting their most profitable brand? In 2008 we saw the release of GH: World Tour and GH: Aerosmith as well as two handheld Guitar Heros for DS. This year we have GH: Metallica and probably the sequel to World Tour, as well as any other DS titles they have planned. And of course, they're not the only ones selling virtual band games right now. So is there room in the market for yet another rhythm game; one that doesn't even have a fake instrument as recognizable or iconic as a guitar or drum kit?

Guitar hero: World Tour has sold 3.4 million units so far, which is nothing to scoff at. However, NPD data reveals that only the Wii version has made it into the monthly top ten best sellers list, indicating that the series may have peaked. Also bear in mind that much of the Guitar Hero gameplay was already established when Activision bought the license, so how will they do when developing a brand new rhythm game all by themselves? Hopefully we'll find out the answers to these questions soon, once some official info is released by the company. Now lets all have a moment of silence for 7 Studios, whose upcoming game, Scratch: The Ultimate DJ, is pretty much dead on arrival!