Jay-Z, Eminem Join DJ Hero; First Gameplay Footage

Wii, PS3, Xbox 360

Jay-Z and Eminem are joining the DJ Hero line-up. The two artists will contribute some of their popular songs to DJ Hero and will collaborate on a special branded edition of the game that will include an advanced version of the game’s turntable controller, a metal traveling case that transforms into a performance-ready DJ stand and two exclusive music CD compilations featuring greatest hits and new mixes from each artist. They will also provide downloadable content later this year to give DJ Hero users fresh mixes of their material.

“Jay-Z and Eminem are innovators and they share a vision for expanding their genre by letting fans embrace technology and music in new and exciting ways to get the most out of the experience,” said Dan Rosensweig, president and CEO of Guitar Hero. “Jay-Z and Eminem embody an entire generation and will continue to influence popular culture. Now their fans can experience what it’s like to play the music, mix the music and compete with themselves and others in a game that expands with the user.”

“A DJ has the ability to use music to control people's emotions and is responsible for the entire vibe of a room, a club or a party,” said Jay-Z. “DJ Hero is the first video game that allows everyone to enjoy the unique experience of creating that environment.”

“I came up doing freestyle battles on local stages with other MCs and DJs,” said Eminem. “DJ’ing is an essential part of hip-hop and DJ Hero will give people all over the chance to experience the music from the other side of the turntables.”

The game’s innovative turntable controller was created exclusively for the game and features familiar DJ tools including a fully-rotating turntable, sample buttons, effects dial and crossfader. Players master various DJ techniques as they play along to visual cues for scratching, blending, crossfading and sampling, and can also add their own creative spark by choosing to add a variety of effects, samples and scratches.

Social expression is heightened with euphoric multiplayer gameplay where two DJs can battle competitively or have a player join in to emcee over any track in the game using any USB compatible microphone. Additionally, gamers can rock together as DJ Hero features DJ-guitar exclusive mixes played with a turntable controller and Guitar Hero guitar controller.

Colour us intrigued, if not entirely convinced. Still, at least they're trying something new, as opposed to just iterating on the whole band thing. We've got the first gameplay footage (loving the curved track) for you to check out below, in both high and low versions, because we love you like your family doesn't.

Easy Difficulty: Benni Benassi's “Satisfaction” vs. Black Eyed Peas “Boom Boom Pow” - Low (9.8MB MOV) or High (27.1MB MOV)

Medium Difficulty: Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers “Bustin’ Loose” vs. The Zombies “Time of the Season” (DJ Shadow mix) - Low (13.4MB MOV) or High (30.4MB MOV)