Activision recruiting talent for DJ Hero sequels

The first game may not be out until the end of next month, but Activision is already recruiting talent for a sequel and downloadable content for DJ Hero.

And GamesIndustry.biz understands that at least one independent UK games developer is already liaising with Activision's FreeStyleGames on DJ Hero 2.

Although not in the first game set for release on October 30, DMC Champion and judge DJ Qbert has also been approached for inclusion in a sequel.

Signing Qbert would be a coup for DJ Hero, considered a pioneer of turntablism, he's won multiple awards personally and as part of the Invisible Skratch Piklz, including a gong at the Sundance Film Festival for the movie Wave Twisters. He has also designed mixers and turntables for Vestax.

As with the Guitar Hero franchise, Activision has secured big names as well as acclaimed talent for DJ Hero, with Eminem and Jay-Z fronting a game that also includes ex-Jurassic 5 DJ Cut Chemist and his Product Placement partner DJ Shadow, 70's pioneer Grand Master Flash, and DJ AM, who recently passed away.

That Activision is working on sequels and additional content for DJ Hero should come as no surprise – the publisher has spun off its Guitar Hero brand down multiple avenues, and the development of a custom built peripheral for DJ Hero suggests it is hardware the company is happy to invest in.

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz earlier this year, Activision CEO Mike Griffiths said that he hopes DJ Hero will target a market wider than the 15 million already playing Guitar Hero.

"Outside of those 15 million household's, there's another 300 million that haven't for one reason or another bought Guitar Hero yet. One of those reasons is we're not reaching new genres and new music audiences in a way that DJ Hero allows us to accomplish," he said.

"DJ Hero is going to be expansive to the franchise and be particularly exciting for Europe where that genre of music is arguably more important than it is elsewhere."