Play It Mr. DJ

For me, video games are my way of relaxing after a long day at work or when I feel I want to accomplish something without having to work too hard at it. Lately it even allows me to live out my fantasy of being a rock star what with games like "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero" releasing versions nearly every other week (or so it seems). But sometimes some ideas are just way ahead of their time and that can make it hard for a game to live up to its potential. Case in point is the game "DJ Hero" which was released a few weeks ago. Unlike previous rock games (which are essentially rhythm and coordination games) where the songs are relatively popular (which makes it much easier for players to get the right rhythm) the songs in "DJ Hero" and so the remixes can sometimes play havoc with how a player coordinates their button mashing and therein lies the problem with the game.

Now I haven't played the game as yet though I've seen demos. In "DJ Hero" the player controls the music with a turntable controller that makes it appear as if you are playing records and mixing them up to create remixes on the fly. The producers of the game contacted many famous remix artists including such notables as DJ Shadow to help out and mix some of the music but what it means is that for those unfamiliar with the music it made it somewhat of a narrow grouping of players that would be interested in the game. Unlike the wildly popular "Beatles: Rock Band", "DJ Hero" hasn't had the huge success that was anticipated simply because the initial investment for a game not everyone is sure about is what is probably scaring players away.

With a required investment of at least $120 (to get the game and the controller), many players are hesitant because they aren't sure that they'd know very many of the songs. For me I do look at what the play list includes before making a decision. If I know at least half (if not more) of the songs then I'd go ahead and get the game and for the songs that I don't know, I've often come to appreciate them over time. Perhaps with "DJ Hero" the same thing would happen but I think what is needed is that players who know the songs in this particular game would probably either already mix on their own or perhaps they would rather learn to actually mix music since from what I've seen the game more or less mirrors the actual mixing process probably a lot closer than the guitar playing in "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band".

I think one of the great things about games like this is that they give you an appreciation for not only the music but the process in which it's made. It also gives you a sense of fulfillment since you can get a chance to 'play' the music in the game which itself can be fun, especially if you enjoy music to begin with. I love music and listening to music is one thing I do on a daily basis. That being the case it's possible that I may look into getting the game but I would probably want to familiarize myself a bit more with the music. To me that's a key selling point and is probably what is a sign that perhaps this game was a bit ahead of its time.