With less than a week to go before E3, Activision is keen to remind the world that it has sequels in the works for two of its big music franchises.
Activision said Tuesday that DJ Hero 2 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii will scratch its way into stores this fall. On Monday, it said that the latest installment of its blockbuster Guitar Hero franchise, dubbed Warriors of Rock, would appear on the same consoles, around the same time.
DJ Hero 2 promises tunes from chart-toppers like Dr. Dre, The Chemical Brothers, Kanye West, Metallica, Lady Gaga and Rihanna. Techno producer Deadmau5 is slated to appear as a playable character.
To kick DJ Hero mania into high gear, Activision has released a new mix as free downloadable content for the first game in the series. The track, available from June 8-14 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, mashes Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” with the Deadmau5 tune “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff.”
Tweaks to the DJ Hero formula in the sequel will include new freestyle scratch and sample sections within songs, plus DJ battles that leverage mixes produced specifically for head-to-head turntable combat. A new career mode will let players build an entertainment empire on the strength of their party-rocking skills.
The game’s quest mode will cast you as a band of adventurers who set off on a journey from the stage of the now defunct punk club CBGBs, transform into fantasy-inspired rock warriors with crazy, new powers and join the Gene Simmons-voiced “Demi-God” in a battle against “The Beast,” to save the soul of rock and roll.
Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine will contribute a new song called “Sudden Death,” inspired by the game’s fantasy plot.
On top of the Mustaine exclusive, metal fans appear to be well-served by Warriors of Rock, which will include tunes from Slayer, Black Sabbath, DragonForce, Children of Bodom and Dethklok. The game’s version of Sabbath’s classic “Paranoid” will be a live collaboration between Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica.
The nutty new Guitar Hero wireless guitar has a wild look and a removable body that lets it transform. Check out this video of the new instrument being customized to look like a battle axe.
The Guitar Hero franchise was first launched in 2005. Activision racked up $1 billion in sales on Guitar Hero 3 alone. DJ Hero debuted last year to positive reviews. We liked it, but DLC for the game has been slow in coming.
Images courtesy Activision
