Video: Scratch: The Ultimate DJ shows off its deck, new website

Damn straight they did.. I had no intention of buying either game, but if I suddenly came into extra cash it'd be this game after that video.

Agreed. That looks pretty great. I'm sold on the controller for sure... whether the game will be any good, who knows.

(As for that 'skills transferring to the club'... yeah, probably not. I don't think it matters much if the buttons are really the same as an MPC or not either, but it's a nice touch.)

@ Swagman

Let's wait on some track lists before we have any doubts. I think actiblizzard will probably end up having more mainstream artists just because they have the money to spend. I'm hoping for more "underground" artists than mainstream myself but I think you're right about Scratch being more hip-hop oriented.

@Swagman - To be fair, the game *is* called Scratch - and scratching remains pretty much exclusive to hip-hop (and its related genres). There's not a whole lot of scratching in trance or drum'n'bass.

Hip-hop isn't my absolute favourite dance music genre, but if they get a good tracklisting including some independent artists (they must be cheaper, too, right?) then that'll still be a good thing in my view. And although I'm a fan of experimental techno, I really don't want to try playing a music game around some of those tracks with weird broken-up beats etc :)

Just as long as they don't include any guitar music...

(Incidentally, I don't have a PS3/60 - but if this game turns out good, and if Sony come through with that slim PS3, it could finally be time to pick up that Blu-ray player...)

Hmm. Looks kind of cool, but Numark makes the worst DJ equipment on the market. Great choice they made.

Sorry, I don't think anyones going to give you your flame wars...Is there anyone out there who really wants to play either of these? I'll just stick my Rock Band controller on it's side. Or dig out my Beatmania controller.

I want to play both DJ games. While I used to enjoy playing with my guitar peripherals when the first few GHs came out, the formula eventually got bland for me. The other instruments were all nice additions but none really grabbed my full admiration, as I got a chance to sample them all for a nice amount of time.

I've always been a fan of past Konami simulation titles so this is definitely something up my alley.

Stop being so closed-minded.

It does move, look at the demos. I prefer the look of the scratch deck but I'll reserve judgement.

You know, I would love to buy a domestic version of Beatmania worth playing but that's the problem with Konami and it's fanboys really. They sit in a corner bitching about how they invented everything meanwhile they had a good 12 years to beat Activision and others to this punch. Want to be mad this looks like Beatmania? I agree. Except Beatmania has no focus on the addition moves and freestyle and often going off the track will effect your score negatively but regardless, you're right. This controller looks like an original Beatmania controller.

But wait a moment and realize this. Scratch has already had more posts on Joystiq about it than Beatmania. Wow, a game announced a year ago getting more emphasis on a site like this and a 12 year franchise.... wonder why. Oh yeah, because this is ACTUALLY looking like a decent effort leaving Japan. So FUCK Konami. They had 12 years and the tragically pathetic mix they put out on PS2.

I mean SHIT, you want to know how retarded Konami has been about this entire genre they created yet did everything in their power to prevent it from becoming popular to non-weeabo fucks who believe the entire Jpop genre consists entirely of anime soundtracks? How's this? Beatmania on PS2 was ONLY released as a bundle with the controller. An additional controller was not possible to purchase. Your only choice for multiple copies of the game to be owned. But this isn't stupid enough, Konami went full retard and blew their oscar chances by printing another batch of Beatmania on PS2 without controllers...

@Marmot: It doesn't move. The guy's moving the crossfaders, not the turntable.

@Sheppy: I could give fuck all about beatmania. I'm just pointing out the retarded fact that this guy and his design team spent 18 months on essentially the exact same thing that Beatmania has, and is dumb enough to call it "original".

@Pzychotix: It does move, look at the demos.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-dj-hero/50515?type=flv

He means while you play the scratch table actually move as if record is rotating. The DJ hero just turns when you scratch it.

@jayhawkjim but it doesn't watch from like to 0:40 mark and you'll see that it stops spinning.

@pzychotix,

If you're wanting the deck to freely move, then you're wanting a $400 peripheral. Seriously. Even the MP3 digital decks used for amatuer mixing, this is a premium feature. In fact, even the deck I lust after, M-Audio Torq, doesn't have that feature.

And you are right, on the surface this looks a LOT like the Beatmania controller. Which means, of course, Konami now has an open road to bring over beatmania again. But that's on the surface only. Because if you actually PLAYED Beatmania, you could easily spot five key differences in these controllers. EASILY. And yes, most of these rests in the gameplay.

1. Instead of hollow buttons that do an annoying clack, these are the softer velocity dampening rubber buttons as scene on devices like the Akai and Trigger Finger. Meaning while playing THIS game on high levels, you won't sound like you're typing your resume.

2. Buttons are in a row rather than offset from one another. It's a small different to most, until you play the difference.

3. Crossfader. Seriously, Beatmania has NEVER focused in any way shape or form on crossfading. The closest arguement you can make here is Crackin' DJ which plays nothing like Beatmania.

4. Turntable is NOT button 8. Beatmania has a turntable, yes. But gameplaywise, how does that matter? Simple answer? It doesn't. The turntable has the same gameplay reaction and function as the other 5/7 keys. In other words, for 12 years, it's been a false gameplay gimmick. Hell, DJ Max Portable came closer to using that thing right than Beatmania ever did and all you did was rotate the PSP nub.

5. Emphasis on skilled freestyle. I know to the purest players who play on the hardest difficulty have a hard enough time keeping up, and that's cute, but at the end of the day all you're doing is the exact same thing DJ Hero does. You're following the commands like a good little monkey for your treat at the end of the performance. This game? Not only does it award you for extra notes (something no other DJ style game has done before) but those notes HAVE to be on time preventing rapid taps from massively scoring. Also cross this with additional emphasis on turntable stylizing including the freestyle scratch sections (as seen in video above) and yeah, this is finally a game in this limied genre that awards players for doing extra with their own unique style.

@Manly: Hey, the new Silent Hill looks good so far...

Erm is right... look at that thing. No crossfader like a DJ would use. And I bet the gameplay only really treated that turntable as an eight button to it's already annoying clackity clack, M I RITE?

UHOH, can't be like a real DJ! Can't fuck up good music for real! SCRATCH SCRATCH WIBBLE WOBBLE YEAH

i've heard some great mixes of good songs from pro DJs. you should be more open minded when it comes to music.

More like http://www.djdaojp.com/images/real.jpg

I seriously don't think I could care any less about either game. The whole concept seems ridiculous to me.

I'm no Stefani fan either, but the blend of the Holla Back Girl with the Rick James track sounded awesome! The Foo Fighters/Beastie Boys blend was pretty sick too. It sounds like on this game, you're just scratching and dropping drums over one song. I don't hear any mixing or blending at all. I really wanted to like Scratch more than DJ Hero, but I'll take great music over realism every time.

Scratch seems to be more realistic and DJ Hero seems to be more fun. Like you said, I think I would prefer to do some actual mixing as opposed to just laying drum beats and scratching over a song.

Also, to be fair, DJ Hero also has Black Eyed Peas ;)

yeah, i hate the normal hollaback girl, but the DJ hero mix was SWEET!

they said the scratch controller doubles as a real deck, so maybe.

For that, you're better off buying an actual DJ MP3 controller for $120.

http://www.amazon.com/Hercules-4780288-DJ-Control-MP3/dp/B000BK2EOY

It's only a matter of time...