7 Studios today made a move toward being the first studio to
renew the turntable-based rhythm game, announcing partnerships with DJ equipment manufacturer Numark and hip-hop producer Quincy Jones III, along with Genius Products and Genco Interactive. Dubbed,
Scratch: The Ultimate DJ, the game will be
played using a turntable controller, the "Scratch Deck," designed by Numark, which promises to "allow players to re-imagine songs on the fly and add their own creativity" (no word on an MC counterpart -- or b-boy, for that matter). 7 Studios joins
Activision and presumably any other company with half a brain (you listening, Konami?) as it vies for precious mindshare of the next potential gaming phenomenon.
Scratch is scheduled for release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 next spring and features "distinctive
urban environments" and "original recordings from the catalogs of many top
urban artists." Are we sensing a theme here?
{ Oct 7th 2008 at 6:30PM } 
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
deft @ Oct 7th 2008 6:34PM
One thing must be said about this and that is:
KONAMI WILL SUE.
KeegdnaB @ Oct 7th 2008 7:42PM
ahhhhh...beat me to it
Mathieu Bonin @ Oct 7th 2008 9:34PM
"beat me to it"
That's actually funny.
Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ Oct 7th 2008 6:34PM
Sweet, another US release of Beatma....
shit, no it isn't. Moving on.
&rew @ Oct 7th 2008 6:40PM
Do rythm games even matter after Elite Beat Agents and Rockband?
Bigfoot @ Oct 7th 2008 9:32PM
Yes. There's Pop'n Music and Beatmania IIDX.
nofriendo @ Oct 7th 2008 6:41PM
Is that guy round kicking that girl in the face?
Dirty @ Oct 7th 2008 7:21PM
They're BreakDance Fighting!!
http://breakdancefighting.ytmnd.com/
syrik zero @ Oct 7th 2008 7:28PM
You are awesome
Ridgecity @ Oct 7th 2008 8:54PM
It's cappoeira!
j.howlett @ Oct 7th 2008 6:42PM
i've used numark tables before. i haven't played a turntable rhythm game in years.
DrHerbertWest @ Oct 7th 2008 6:48PM
I would argue that with the constant highlighting of "urban" and the fact that its called Scratch, this game is actually bugger all like Beatmania, hip-hop and scratching are ENTIRELY different from traditional beatmatching skills required for DJing lets say trance or house
KiraXD @ Oct 7th 2008 7:23PM
exactly... as a DJ myself (i spin stanton STR-8 100's)
this is less like actual DJing or scratching (physically altering the speed, direction, and pitch)
but it sounds similar to beatmania (sans trance and house, and substituting... hip-hop? breaks?)
With Numark on board i would have expected much better.
i would like to see a game that lets you use ACTUAL DJ skills (such as beat matching and actual mixing of 2 tracks. instead of all these "hit the button on the correct colored jewel" type ddr/bemani games
Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ Oct 7th 2008 7:36PM
Oh look at the interface, it's exactly like Beatmania. I think they are praying the colored gems and Konami's focus on IIXD will keep them from suing. But apparently they haven't been following the news.
TFoK (Naked Peach Defense Force) @ Oct 7th 2008 6:49PM
I saw 'Numark' and got all excited before I found out that you were talking about the turntable company and not the DJ.
If the game has decent tunes then I might check it out. "Top urban artists" scares me a bit...
Jesse Parra @ Oct 7th 2008 7:40PM
I'll stick to my Japanese Beatmania's thank you. This is gonna suck IMO.
CTC XBL-supapaypamawio PSN-ctclaw @ Oct 7th 2008 6:56PM
I'm going to have to bust out some beatmania in honor of this post.
Kyle Nichol @ Oct 7th 2008 7:17PM
"What is a DJ if he can't scratch?"
The screenshot looks better than I expected for a modern DJ turntable game, I just hope Numark are able to develop a decent controller that emulates scratching realistically. Memories of Konami's Beatmania controller bring to mind if Activision and 7 Studios (who?) are able to design a layout that isn't too similar to Guitar Hero/Rock Band and Konami's backlog of rhythm games.
Dirty @ Oct 7th 2008 7:22PM
What no Technics? Or are they not as cool now that their expired?
Dirty @ Oct 7th 2008 7:36PM
*their patent expired.*
Dont know how patent got dropped out of there. Magic I suppose....fucking wizards.
syrik zero @ Oct 7th 2008 7:30PM
The picture reminds me of jet grind radio... So I'll get it
Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ Oct 7th 2008 7:34PM
Alright, making a note.
"To instantly sell a copy of a game to Syrik Zero, create an inverted black textured duplicate of geometry over the first character"
Well, that's easy.
syrik zero @ Oct 7th 2008 7:46PM
It's that easy
kftgr @ Oct 7th 2008 7:44PM
chirp chirp scribble tear stab stab!
canher @ Oct 7th 2008 8:10PM
that sounded like a gay porno o_O
but seriously, it looks just like beatmania. and i figured numark would do the tables considering all the weird things theyve been releasing (i got semi normal hdx tables)
xLV426x @ Oct 7th 2008 8:24PM
Beatmania IIDX for life. Konami better get off their asses and sue this time around (unlike the years they let passed before they realized guitar hero was just a north american rehash of guitarmania, and now same with drummania)
Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ Oct 7th 2008 8:35PM
I'd agree with you if not for these two facts.
Waiting for Konami to take initiative in bringing Bemani to the US is like waiting for a Slug to have a conversation on the economic downfall of ancient Rome. Shit ain't gonna happen.
With the hardware out there and if it becomes commonplace, Konami can try Beatmania in the US again. Granted, it will probably be as half-assed as their last attempt or Rock Revolution, but it will still be attempted.
m-zills @ Oct 7th 2008 8:43PM
biters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo9XULxdiUQ
DarthDavid @ Oct 7th 2008 8:59PM
Did Konami at least count how many Beatmanias were sold in the US? Yeah I got mine for $30 brand new at Target but I still play it from time to time (set list sucks). PLEASE Konami release a HD Beatmania with a wireless controller and downloadable music and they will come!!! One thing, keep all the J-Pop music, this will create a niche market that WILL grow NO corny American pop crap! I mean come on, is DDR still hot in the US? You keep bringing out different versions for THREE different consoles COME ON KONAMI
End Rant.....
neko to kuruma @ Oct 7th 2008 9:16PM
So it's Beatmania, but with less buttons. Looks like it has more buttons than DJ Hero, though, so I wonder how Activision and FreeStyleGames will try to one-up them (you know it's going to happen.)
Bigfoot @ Oct 7th 2008 9:34PM
It IS beatmania. Beatmania has 5 keys. Beatmania IIDX has 7.
James @ Oct 7th 2008 9:42PM
One "deck" and no crossfader = not a DJ game. It's just another "press button" game with DJ in the name like Beatmania and DJMax.
ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ Oct 8th 2008 2:11AM
I'd kill for a DJ game with a crossfader: no need for all of the other colored buttons, just a crossfader switch instead would do the trick.
It'd probably be much harder, but I believe it could be buckets of fun.
chronomaster.k @ Oct 8th 2008 5:38AM
This sounds like a job for Crackin' DJ!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwgBA-cvHTQ
n00b_saib0t @ Oct 7th 2008 9:55PM
no, neko, it has the EXACT same number of buttons as beatmania. beatmania didnt start with IIDX, there are TONS of 5-key beatmania games out there.
anyway, someone has to be smart enough to release a DJ game in the US, since konami has no interest. i'm not too thrilled by the announced type of music, but the game has potential.
Keeko_ca @ Oct 8th 2008 6:10AM
OMG! Please be the DJ sim I've been waiting for! Although, I can guarantee this game won't sell very well.
Scratch devs, you guys gimmie any of the following: DJ Premier, DJ Evil Dee, Beat Junkies, RZA, Pete Rock, Da Beatminerz, Kid Capri, and some DJ Shadow (DLC?); and you'll have a sale!
abbott @ Nov 11th 2008 1:57AM
anyone seen this???
www.playpenstudios.com.hk/skillz
Brucie B @ Oct 8th 2008 7:55AM
'Put the Needle on the Record'
JohnHeist @ Oct 8th 2008 7:54PM
Not interest personally, BUT...
If there are buttons you have to push, they should be MPC-style and arranged as they would be on a turntable.
Then they could let the turntable function like a regular, real USB turntable and actually be useful to real DJs and not another plastic toy.
south coast hip hop movie @ Dec 4th 2008 4:39AM
You can enter a competition to win a copy of Scratch: the ultimate DJ when it is released over at the website for Hip Hop movie "South Coast"
http://www.southcoastthemovie.co.uk/Win.html
'SOUTH COAST' is a character driven documentary about how a culture as intrinsically American as hip hop has taken root and mutated in a quintessentially British way in the least likely of places.... its seaside towns.
The film is packed full of utterly engaging characters (as well as bigger names such as Norman Cook, Plan B, Killa Kela, JFB, Stig, Beardyman, Dr Syntax, Mr J, Blackgrass and Elemental) who subvert preconceptions of hip hop just being about bling, gangstas and sexism in every frame.
The film covers all aspects of the Hip Hop scene; music, graffiti, MC’s engaging in freestyle battles, DJ’s, turntablism (cutting and scratching etc.) and breakdancing.
The film won 'Best Documentary' in The International Film Makers Festival, and was officially selected for screening at Raindance, Bermuda, Israel, Helsinki, H20 (New York), Black Soil (Rotterdam), De Reel (Australia) and over a dozen others.
Trailers, freebies, soundtracks etc over at
www.southcoastthemovie.co.uk