One of my little skeleton bones in my closet is that I used to play around with the decks and wax back in the day. I had always been *jealz* of the DJ arcade games in Japan, and wondered if those games would ever make it to the US in console form. Guitar Hero blazed the way, with it’s huge success on all gaming platforms and soon enough, there were ruminations of the DJ games coming to the US, I couldn’t wait to see what would cross over to the states.
There are two games that are in development and close to release: DJ Hero, of the Guitar Hero franchise, and Scratch: The Ultimate DJ. Hm…..I personally have had my bet on Scratch from jump, with Quincy Jones III backing it, how could it be anything less than dope?
So far, so right…a few weeks ago, the DJ Hero turntable prototype came out and it was, at best, super lame looking.
Bring it Scratch! Not only does Scratch boast a dope looking lefty-or-righty turntable controller, it’s from Numark. An actual mixer company. A damn fine one, I might add. (although Vestax will always have my heart) So let’s peep this ish already! Gamertagradio.com posts up the dope deets:
Numark Industries, the world’s leading manufacturer of DJ technology, and Genius, Inc., released today the first images of the videogame controller for Scratch: The Ultimate DJ for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. SCRATCH DECK will be showcased for hands-on play at a special event in Los Angeles on June 3, during the week of the videogame industry’s most high profile trade show, the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo.
“For decades, Numark has been developing turntables, DJ mixers and digital DJ controllers. We know what professional DJs demand, and we used that knowledge to produce SCRATCH DECK,” said Adam Cohen, Director of Business Development, Numark. “It was critical that we deliver an authentic DJ experience to gamers, whether they be experienced DJs or players who have never put a needle to vinyl.”
SCRATCH DECK combines two essential elements of the DJ and hip-hop experience – a free-spinning, touch sensitive turntable with a crossfader and 5 Akai Pro MPC-style drum pads. The turntable allows players to add their own style and manipulate the songs in real time, while the MPC-style drum pads give players the opportunity to perform and customize tracks by triggering samples using the very same pads that are the cornerstone of professional hip-hop beat production. Samples can either be pre-loaded into the game using 60 unique battle records that will ship with the software, or players can record and upload their own samples using a compatible USB microphone.
In addition to the features created by Numark, SCRATCH DECK also contains standard game controls found in music rhythm games. The turntable features a realistic surface that feels remarkably similar to a vinyl record. The drum pads and the crossfader also deliver an authentic and realistic music production experience. Left-handed DJs will appreciate that SCRATCH DECK is designed for use in right or left-handed configurations.
“Being involved with Hip-Hop for so long, Numark has consistently been the standard for innovation and leadership in computer DJ controllers, their quality is second to none,” said Quincy Jones III of QD3 Entertainment. “We are very excited to partner with them to deliver the most authentic DJ experience for gamers and look forward to letting gamers and Hip Hop enthusiasts get their hands on the controller for the first time at E3.”
Scratch: The Ultimate DJ combines free-form DJ tricks with great rhythm game play similar to top-selling rhythm games. Scratch: The Ultimate DJ is set in distinctive urban environments and will feature songs from the biggest names in Hip-Hop. Scratch: The Ultimate DJ, featuring the Numark SCRATCH DECK, will be available in Fall 2009.
