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Activision has announced that DJ Hero was "the #1 new intellectual property by revenue in the U.S. and Europe for calendar 2009, according to the NPD Group." Lest you sped through that proclamation, take note of the two key words: "by revenue" -- in other words, the total amount of money spent by consumers. Considering DJ Hero debuted at $120 for the standard turntable bundle and $200 for the Renegade Edition, it's no wonder that it managed to bring in the most money (though not necessarily the most profit, and certainly not the most units sold for a new franchise).

NPD representative Anita Frazier clarified for Joystiq the performance of last year's new IPs in terms of actual unit sales. As you might have guessed, DJ Hero wasn't quite #1 in that category, but managed a respectable 789,000 units in U.S. sales. Still, it was soundly outsold by other new IPs, including Borderlands and Dragon Age: Origins, which sold 1.11 million and 1.14 million units, respectively. Besting them all, however, was EA Sports Active, which amassed 1.2 million units sold.

And get this, if we consider new IPs that launched before 2009, then Wii Play and Wii Fit were technically the best-selling new IPs in 2009 in terms of unit sales and revenue, according to the NPD.

Finally, we should point out -- as did Frazier -- that NPD data only covers the U.S., despite Activision's claim that the group provided European sales data regarding DJ Hero.

We know that Activision is planning a second DJ Hero game -- thanks to David Guetta and word that Activision is looking for some new talent. Now we've heard confirmation of the game from the same source that semi-officially revealed the first game: Activision CEO Bobby Kotick.

Kotick justified the development of a sequel to the less-than-hit music game in an interview with Game Informer. "I think DJ Hero is a really innovative product," he said. "I can't wait for you to see next year's. That's the thing; we're sticking with it. We'll stick with it and get it right. But it's going to be less games, better games. That's our strategy."

That's right -- somehow, Kotick managed to use an annual DJ Hero sequel as proof of a "less games, better games" strategy. We suppose it is noteworthy that Activision's only doing one DJ Hero this year, given that 2009 saw six Guitar Hero games.

Dear Activision's Bobby Kotick,

So, I heard through the DJ grapevine that you're looking for new talent for the next DJ Hero game. I'd like to submit my own name into the running: That is to say, the name of Willups "Mellow Jam" Dupree. See, the corporate bigwigs who designed the last game said they tried to incorporate every type of disc-jockeying around. Tell me, then -- how did they manage to completely overlook my area of expertise, and arguably the type of DJ that people are most commonly exposed to: Wedding Entertainers?

Sure, we don't do -- what do the kids call them? -- mash-ups. Still, it's just as hard to play the right songs in the right order. You think you can just play "YMCA," then hit 'em with an "Electric Slide," then tie the whole thing together with an "(I've Had) The Time of My Life?" That's bush league, man. With Mellow Jam's experienced hand on the rudder, you'd know to never chase an interactive dance song with another interactive dance song -- especially not before busting out the Dirty Dancing soundtrack.

Give me a ring if you don't want to miss out on this important facet of the DJ lifestyle. Or if anyone you know is getting married soon.

-- Willups "Mellow Jam" Dupree

There's a temptation to lump DJ Hero in with Guitar Hero, but as the name would suggest, that's only half right. Develop recently spoke with Dan Neil at FreeStyleGames and he detailed some of the unique challenges and considerations that creating a song for the game involved.

Sure, the team liked that they could tweak songs on the fly to suit their needs (a luxury not afforded to Guitar Hero, which must slavishly adhere to master recordings), but that also meant that artists were a little more hesitant to sign away their babies for some turntable jockey to play around with. As word got around though, Neil said, stars like the Black Eye Peas started to pile on.

How's that for a cautionary tale about success, huh? The bigger you get, the more likely you are to attract the attention of the Black Eyed Peas.

DJ Hero
What started out as tepid fascination in DJ Hero quickly turned into a deep, passionate love. I initially thought it was just another rhythm game knock-off with an obtuse peripheral and a too-high price point. However, as my turntabling improved, my fondness for the game multiplied. Based on the game's lackluster sales, I'm guessing most people shared my outright hesitance -- but once you invest a bit of time and patience into DJ Hero, I guarantee you'll get hooked. (And that soundtrack! Oh, man, that soundtrack.)

Back in September, we heard the initial reports claiming Activision and FreeStyleGames had already begun work on the sequel to DJ Hero. These reports were corroborated by a recent article by Kelowna.com, in which DJ David Guetta, a contributor to the soundtrack of the first mixmaster simulator, mentioned that he'd been working on "the No. 2 version" of the game. We're assuming he's talking about a sequel, and not about the tone of graphite that's so popular amongst pencil manufacturers.

It only makes sense that a second game using the costly, rotating peripheral would be in the works. What would really be shocking is some kind of lid-unscrewing sim. Or a Lazy Suzan puzzle game!

[Via Destructoid]

Target's circular for the week of December 13 includes some near-Black Friday discounts on brand new items. With a promotional price of $24.99, Target has the best deal yet on the just-released The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (along with other recent DS releases like Style Savvy and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days).

While you're buying a $25 game, you can also impulse-buy a Wii, which includes a bonus $30 gift card, or a DSi with a $10 gift card. Or a copy of Tony Hawk: Ride for $88 (not the only time we'll see discounts on this one, we're guessing).

Opening its rationalization with the arguable statement that Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2 has "something intelligent to say about contemporary military conflicts," Time Magazine's "Top 10 Games" of 2009 list recently declared the title its "Game of the Year." MW2 was closely followed by Batman: Arkham Asylum and DJ Hero, while the recent Uncharted 2 and Assassin's Creed 2 landed on the bottom of the list.

The seemingly annual Flash/iPhone game choice this year turned out to be Geo Defense Swarm, while Link's latest adventure sat out the ubiquitous DS spot -- a spot filled by Scribblenauts, it would seem. As always, Joystiq will have our own Game of the Year awards going live just after the new year, so be sure to keep it locked!

If you've been desperately wanting to live the luxurious life of a virtual DJ, but lack the finances required to do so, fret no longer -- GuitarHeroStore has temporarily knocked the price of the Wii, PS3 and 360 versions of DJ Hero down to $79, and the PS2 version of the game to $64. That even includes free shipping, which is good, since plastic turntables probably cost more than your average parcel to transport cross-country.

Make sure you enter in the coupon code "DJHPP1" while checking out in order to access the offer. Otherwise, you'll end up paying full price for the game, losing out on $20 you could've spend on other disc jockey accessories. Like oversized headphones! Or LED-infused robot helmets.

[Via SlickDeals]

If you've been sitting around on your fat stacks of cash, waiting to pick up an extra DJ Hero controller then now is the time, friend. Activision sent along a press release stating that the turntable controllers are now in stock at the Guitar Hero Store for $70 a pop, $40 cheaper than the regular, game-packing bundle.

With a weak showing on October's NPD charts and UK retailers slashing prices, we can't say we fully understand Activision's decision to charge so much for the turntables. From our vantage point, it looks like this: if Activision came down on the price a bit, more people would buy a second controller and have their friends try the game. Then, maybe those people would go out and buy their own set-up. Isn't that a novel idea?

Lucky Brits. Not only do they get to be in closer geographic proximity to the dreamy David Tennant than we do, they're also extended some amazing post-Thanksgiving deals on typically pricey gaming equipment. Electronics retailer HMV is currently running two such offers in the UK -- the company has dropped the price of the PSP Go to £148.99, down significantly from the handheld's MSRP of £224.99. In addition, it's reduced the cost for DJ Hero, normally £107.99, down to just £69.99.

We're not sure how long these prices will stay this low, so if you live in the United Kingdom and have any interest in turntabling or digital distribution revolutions, we suggest you get while the getting is good.

A DLC three-pack of tracks by French DJ David Guetta is available today for DJ Hero across PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii. The original works "When Love Takes Over" featuring Kelly Rowland, "Sexy Chick" featuring Akon, and "On The Dancefloor" featuring will.i.am and apl.de.ap make up the mash-up pack, which goes for 640 ($8) and $7.99 on Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store, respectively (the tracks are not offered for purchase separately). Each track is sold separately for Wii at 300 Wii Points ($3) apiece.

Also out today for Wii are the two tracks from last month's Extended Mix Pack 01: "All Of Me" by 50 Cent featuring Mary J. Blige vs. "Radio Ga Ga" by Queen, and "DARE" by Gorillaz vs. "Can't Truss It" performed by Public Enemy. Those will set living room DJs back 300 Wii Points, as well.

The knowledge that your DJ Hero controller is a million times cooler than the Tony Hawk Ride board is, as always, priceless.

With the season of bargain hunting upon us, Amazon has a special today on DJ Hero "Renegade Edition" for $150. The set, regularly priced at $200, includes a turntable featuring gaudy gold nobs, a case that converts into a stand and a two-disc CD set featuring Jay-Z and Eminem's block rockin' beats.

The deal is for today only and supplies are limited, so if you're looking to grab the game for the holidays the $30 difference between the "Renegade" version and the standard edition seems much more tolerable.

Both Brütal Legend and DJ Hero were conspicuously absent from October's NPD top ten. According to data given to GameSpot by NPD, DJ Hero, which was released at the end of the month, on October 27, managed 123,000 units in sales across four platforms, with the Xbox 360 version accounting for the highest number of sales (62,000 units) and, predictably, the PS2 version, the lowest (3,300 units).

Double Fine's rocking, semi-strategy game, Brütal Legend, which debuted on Rocktober 13, totaled 216,000 units in sales across two platforms during October: 150,000 on Xbox 360 (almost enough to launch it into the monthly top ten) and 66,000 on PS3. This total fails to hit analyst Jesse Divnich's prediction for the month. However, Divnich suggested that Brütal Legend would go on to be an attractive holiday item -- something that may also be true for the bulky box with the cool turntable thingy in it.

Update: Removed reference to Brütal Legend as an Activision-published title. We know better!

You know what would make becoming the "chosen one" in your late night 1 vs. 100 bouts a whole lot easier? Just imagine: The camera pans up to your seat -- but you're nowhere to be found. You're a white-garbed shadow, slipping through the crowd, silently executing other would-be contestants. It's a beautiful dream that could be realized if you pick up one of the new Assassin's Creed 2 Avatar costumes -- a set which includes Ezio and Altair's respective get-ups (400), Da Vinci's Flying Machine (240) and a whole mess of other items that no hitman (or hitwoman) should go without.

Also, there's a whole slew of DJ Hero content, including a few turntables (240), a "Ghetto Blaster" (160) and some virtual vinyl (160). While the DJ lifestyle isn't nearly as attractive as that of an assassin, we suppose these accouterments are still pretty sharp.