It is important to know that I am a big fan of Harmonix and my music gaming platform (yes, platform) of choice is the Rock Band series.  I have also played several of the post-Harmonix Guitar Hero games, but they just don’t provide the same level of enjoyment for me.  It is also important to know that as much as I have enjoyed these types of rhythm games, there is no doubt in my mind that the video game market is seeing a few too many of them right now.

I also haven’t played DJ Hero.

So then why am I writing about DJ Hero?  I am writing because of all of the new music titles being released since The Beatles: Rock Band, this is the most interesting idea.

I play Rock Band primarily for the group atmosphere.  I play with people who enjoy rock music and love it loud.  Some of these people play instruments, some of these people play video games, and some don’t normally do either.  The group dynamic is just too good to not draw people in, even if they aren’t familiar with the music.

One problem is that at some parties rock music just doesn’t fit.  The music in DJ Hero is able to appeal to a completely different group of genres, ones that are often better to dance to.  This is the primary reason why I support the idea of DJ Hero.  You could have people playing the game, or even battling 1 on 1, and people just might feel like dancing.  This happens in Rock Band too, but it seems like there is even more potential in DJ Hero.

A party game that people could play a dance-type party.  It seems like an odd idea.  If a video game is being played at a good party, it is probably the main focus of the party.  DJ Hero could be more than that though, both a game and the actual DJ of the party.  Maybe I’m way off here, but this type of concept gives DJ Hero a additional type of appeal.

Although I don’t follow many of the artists in DJ Hero, I support the game soundtrack  because of the quality and variety the game provides.  It has great artists; Grandmaster Flash, 2Pac, Public Enemy, Queen, Marvin Gaye… they simply did a great job selecting the artists, even though there are a bunch I don’t listen to.  Plus, the combination of songs create some really interesting tracks.  Personally, hearing the music is probably the biggest draw the game has.

Bittersweet Symphony mixed with All Eyez on Me? Yes please.

Still, I won’t buy it.  The main reason is price.  I have paid a fair amount for games and their peripherals, but the trade off was getting to play with a group of friends.  This doesn’t have that advantage and I highly doubt anyone I know would ever want to purchase it as well.  I just don’t think I would have enough fun playing by myself to justify the purchase.

It sounds odd, but the other reason is the music.  As good as the soundtrack is, I still prefer the growing collection of music on Rock Band.  It is more likely that I would pick up an official soundtrack if they released one.  I would still like to be able to listen to it, but without the enormous price tag.

I must reiterate that I haven’t played the game yet, so maybe the gameplay would change my mind.  If that manages to happen, I will definitely post an update.  Even though I don’t believe this game is for me, I believe the idea is worth supporting.  DJ Hero is the biggest chance the rhythm game genre has taken since Rock Band (which seemed like a sure thing to me) and I hope it has enough success that developers in this area aren’t discouraged from trying new ideas.

Additional Links
Official DJ Hero Website
DJ Hero on Metacritic