Kotaku: Dj Hero

Activision Boss Says DJ Hero Helped Kill Guitar Hero

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 01:30:00 EDT

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I like video games. I like turntables. I like DJ Shadow, I like the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, the Scratch Perverts. Yet I've thought DJ Hero was a stupid idea from the moment the series was first announced. More »

Leaked Activision Memo: There's Just No 'Appetite' For Guitar Hero Now, But It May Rise From Its Grave

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:40:00 EDT

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Publisher Activision put its Guitar Hero business on ice earlier this year, signaling the end of a genre that was once white hot, but quickly flamed out. Why did Activision just bail on this formerly billion dollar business instead of taking it in a radical new direction? More »

DJ Hero, Guitar Hero Downloads Dry Up

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 19:30:00 EST

Publisher Activision is getting out of the Hero business. That means no new DJ Hero and Guitar Hero games (at least for 2011), but it also means no new downloadable songs for the games it has already released. More »

Tony Hawk, Music Games Get The Year Off At Activision

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 17:10:00 EST

There will be no skateboarding games, no music games coming from Tony Hawk and Guitar Hero publisher Activision in 2011. That means no DJ Hero 3 to play and no Tony Hawk games to stand on this year. And, oh yeah, no Guitar Hero games. More »

Activision Just Killed Guitar Hero And True Crime

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:40:00 EST

Publisher Activision has just added a few more games and maybe one more development studio to its kill count. A now partially confirmed report says that the mega-publisher has axed the Guitar Hero franchise, killed its True Crime reboot and fired much of Freestyle Games. More »

DJ Hero Parody Game Mashes Up Some Legal Action

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 05:30:00 EST

That's what a lawyer representing Universal Music Publishing Group told the creator of 8-Bit DJ Hero, which resulted in one of the year's best parody games being yanked off the internet. More »

8-Bit DJ Hero Has A Better Soundtrack Than Real DJ Hero

Mike Fahey — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:40:00 EST

Eric Ruth's 8-Bit version of Activision's DJ Hero is now available to download and play, complete with six chiptune mashups that put DJ Hero 2's soundtrack to shame. Who's up for some Dead or Alive Vs. Siouxsie and the Banshees? More »

The Music Game Is Dead (Long Live The Music Game?)

Luke Plunkett — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

There once was a time when music games were the biggest - and in some cases best - thing to happen to the video game industry. Oh, how those times have changed. More »

The 8-bit Version of DJ Hero Comes Complete With Chiptune Mashups

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:40:00 EDT

The man responsible for the 8-bit version of zombie shooter Left 4 Dead has turned his "de-make" skills to another recent franchise—Activision's DJ Hero. Pixel Force: DJ Hero, as it's known, is musically true to its 80s roots. More »

This Guy Had A Fancier Video Game Birthday Party Than You

Stephen Totilo — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EDT

One of the ways celebrities are different from you and me is that they might spend their 21st birthday party with their model girlfriend on a 140-foot yacht. And DJ Hero would be the sponsor. More »

DJ Hero 2 Designed For People Who Want Two Fake Turntables, Mic

Stephen Totilo — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:20:00 EDT

The next DJ Hero game will be out this fall with a whole bunch of new options, including new multiplayer modes, microphone support for singing and/or rapping and, well, I think they want you to possess two turntable controllers. More »

Still Searching For A Great Rap Video Game

Stephen Totilo — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:00:06 EDT

The news this morning that Konami will publish Def Jam Rapstar raises hope among the hip-hop-minded among us that maybe, finally, the world will get its first — or second, you may argue — great rap game. More »

DJ Hero: Me Versus JAY-Z Versus Eminem

Mike Fahey — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:20:00 EDT

DJ Hero's track lineup expands by three this Thursday with the JAY-Z vs. Eminem Pack. Bear witness as I mutter through an exciting mashup of "Can I Get A…" by JAY-Z mixed With "Lose Yourself" by Eminem. More »

JAY-Z And Eminem Freshen Up DJ Hero

Mike Fahey — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST

DJ Hero, a game that's not seen downloadable content since November, gets a much-needed shot of new content next week, with a trio of mash-ups featuring Eminem and JAY-Z. More »

Rumor: DJ Hero Goes Mobile

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST

Activision's DJ Hero may have been a bit of a failure - at least, relative to its exposure and marketing budget - but the mega-publisher is sticking with the franchise, beginning with the upcoming DJ Hero Mobile. More »

Activision Won't Give Up On DJ Hero Just Yet

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 08:30:00 EST

Last October, Activision's turntable game DJ Hero tanked. Fret not those who shelled out for game and its peripheral, Activision won't be ditching the series just yet. More »

This Guy Says He's Working On DJ Hero 2

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 21:20:02 EST

A DJ Hero sequel? Hard to believe, given publisher Activision's fear of sequelizing its games, but one man, French DJ David Guetta has recently said that, yes, DJ Hero 2 is on his plate. More »

DJ Hero Controller Now Sold By Its Lonesome

Mike Fahey — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:20:00 EST

Players interested in making their DJ Hero experience slightly more social can now order standalone controllers online from GuitarHeroStore.com. More »

The PlayStation 3 Buyer's Guide

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST

With at least one potential game of the year exclusively nesting on the Playstation 3 and a price drop under its belt, the PS3 has had a pretty darn good year. More »

The Xbox 360 Buyer's Guide

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

New Halo, new downloadables for Mass Effect, Fallout 3, and Grand Theft Auto, new Forza. It was a pretty good year for Xbox 360 owners. More »

The Wii Buyer's Guide

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

With a new Super Mario Bros. title to tide fans over, and plenty of third-party software, this year's Wii offering includes an eclectic mix of games. But which to buy? More »

It's Amazon Gold Box Game Deals Day Again

Mike Fahey — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:20:00 EST

Amazon.com loves gamers. More specifically, Amazon.com loves the amount of money we spend on games, and are rewarding us once again with chances to spend less money with a day of Gold Box deals. More »

Expect Fewer "Hero" Games From Activision In 2010

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:20:20 EST

Activision plans on shipping less product into the crowded music game genre next year, but that doesn't mean you won't be getting new Guitar Hero, Band Hero and DJ Hero titles in 2010. More »

October Sales: DJ Hero Tanks, Brutal Legend, Well...

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST

There were two games noticeable by their absence from the October NPD top 10 list: EA's heavy metal adventure Brutal Legend, and Activision's peripheral-shackled DJ Hero. More »

DJ Hero DLC Is A Tad Bit Pricey

Mike Fahey — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:20:00 EDT

DJ Hero is barely out the door and already there are new downloadable tracks, with 50 Cent, Queen, Gorillaz, and Public Enemy hitting Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network today - for $3.00 apiece. More »

Why Jay-Z Is Involved With DJ Hero

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:00:00 EDT

Rapper Jay-Z is appearing in DJ Hero: Renegade Edition. Why, you ask? Well Jay-Z will tell you why: The success of Guitar Hero and Jay-Z's desire to spread hip-hop. More »

Fifty Bucks and a Meal Spins Your Wedding Reception, DJ Hero-Style

Owen Good — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:40:00 EDT

It's hilarious this dude's in North Carolina, because every Baptist wedding reception I ever attended in my home state involved "Electric Slide," which is not included in DJ Hero. Nor, for that matter, is the small dish of butter mints. More »

The Mark Of A DJ Hero Player: One Gamer Point

Stephen Totilo — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:00:32 EDT

1-point Xbox 360 Achievements have been done before, but they're rare. (Forza 2 has a pair.) If you play DJ Hero, prepare to gain a single point. More »

DJ Hero Review: You Spin Me Right Round

Mike Fahey — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:20:00 EDT

Into a genre that seems determined to turn our living rooms into plastic instrument wastelands comes DJ Hero, where one turntable is all you'll ever need. More »

Kotaku's Denver Fundraiser: Why You Should Come

Brian Crecente — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:20:00 EDT

For the kids of course. Not only are 100 percent of the proceeds going to Child's Play, everything from the venue to the giveaways and help running the show has either been paid for by Kotaku or donated. More »

Analyst Slashes DJ Hero Sales Projections

Mike Fahey — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:40:00 EDT

Activision's DJ Hero hits store shelves tomorrow, and it might linger there a bit longer than expected, as Cowen and Company analyst Doug Creutz drops sales projections for the rhythm game by more than 50%. More »

DJ Hero Launch Party Turntable Swag

Brian Crecente — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT

It sounds like the folks who made it out to yesterday's DJ Hero launch party had a blast. More »

You're Invited: The DJ Hero Launch Party

Brian Crecente — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT

Excited for next week's launch of mash-up sporting rhythm game DJ Hero? Then you better hustle over to the DJ Hero launch even today in New York' Soho. More »

No-Fail DJ Hero Is Easier And Harder Than Expected

Stephen Totilo — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:40:27 EDT

Failure is not possible in Activision's turntable riff on Guitar Hero, but I saw last night how tough — and strategic — playing the game can be. More »

Which DJ Hero Commercial Convinces You To Buy The Game?

AJ Glasser — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:40:00 EDT

I'd argue game trailers for the Internet and TV commercials are two different beasts. More »

DJ Hero Does NASCAR

Mike Fahey — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:20:00 EDT

Target and Activision have teamed up to plaster Martin Truex Jr.'s No. 1 Chevrolet with giant DJ Hero logos at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in North Carolina this Saturday. More »

DJ Hero's Intro Slightly Larger-Than-Life

Mike Fahey — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:20:00 EDT

It's only a couple of weeks until the release of DJ Hero, which judging by this intro video is a game about a dark future where truckers and punk kids destroy overpasses before partying. More »

Eminem, Jay-Z Tracks Revealed for DJ Hero Renegade Edition

Owen Good — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:00:00 EDT

Activision gave Rolling Stone first dibs on the Renegade Edition tracklist for DJ Hero, featuring 12 cuts each from Jay-Z and Eminem - who recently endorsed the game by saying "the s—t is dope." More »

The Role of Music Games

AJ Glasser — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:30:00 EDT

I got kicked out of choir in middle school and ever since, I've limited my study of music to whatever Guitar Hero and Rock Band have bothered to teach me. More »

Activision Subtracts From 7 Studios, Hits Ex-Scratch Dev With Layoffs

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:40:03 EDT

In April, publisher Activision purchased 7 Studios, then the developer of DJ Hero competitor Scratch the Ultimate DJ. Today, Kotaku has been told by sources close to the studio, it laid off an estimated 30 people from 7 Studios. More »