SANTA MONICA, CA – October 27, 2010 – In an exciting first for the music and videogame industries, Activision Publishing, Inc.’s (NASDAQ: ATVI) DJ Hero 2 and superstar DJ and Producer Tiësto have joined forces to deliver the first ever music video comprised entirely of videogame footage. Having delivered two exclusive mixes to the best soundtrack in entertainment, Tiësto’s globally recognizable in-game likeness from the critically acclaimed DJ Hero 2 is the feature attraction in the brand new “Speed Rail” music video viewable online at http://www.facebook.com/tiesto.
“I’m having a lot of fun playing myself in DJ Hero 2!” says Tiësto “I originally wrote ‘Speed Rail’ for the video game and then started playing the track at my shows. The music video idea came together after I asked Activision to cut together some footage of my character in the game to play on the large video screens I use on tour. The fan reaction has been amazing, so I decided to go a step further and make it the official ‘Speed Rail’ music video. It looks really cool!”
“Tiësto has been a great partner on DJ Hero 2, appearing in-game, creating exclusive mixes for the soundtrack and acting as a brand ambassador,” said Tim Riley, Vice President of Music Affairs, Activision. “Creating the world’s first ever music video with videogame footage further proves the groundbreaking ways that we’re collaborating with the biggest artists in the world.”
Hailed in reviews as “music game of the year”* featuring “the best soundtrack of any music game,”** DJ Hero 2 is the ultimate mixer of music and friends, delivering the definitive way for players to come together and party with a host of new multiplayer modes – including DJ Battles that pit DJ against DJ in mixes produced specifically for battle gameplay – and inviting vocalists into the spotlight with integrated on-screen singing and rapping of lyrics and rhymes while bringing the party to life with jump-in/jump-out Party Play gameplay. Featuring the biggest dance, pop and hip-hop hits by the hottest artists everyone knows and loves remixed by world-class DJ’s in an all-new way, the game’s soundtrack delivers 83 unique creations only available in DJ Hero 2. Further immersing players into the music, the game offers a heightened level of creative input and allows everyone to add their own touch, directly impacting the beats they’re spinning with freestyle scratching, crossfading and sampling. The game also features an all-new career-based Empire Mode where players start out as an up-and-coming DJ on the road to becoming the head of a major entertainment empire, all of which is founded solely on their success as a DJ.
Available now, DJ Hero 2 invites a wave of new digital disc jockeys to the turntables as the game is available in a Party Bundle which will include a copy of the game, two turntable controllers and a microphone, offering the ultimate “party-in-a-box.” Gamers who experienced DJ Hero, the #1 new videogame intellectual property of 2009, can pick up DJ Hero 2 as a Turntable Bundle featuring one turntable controller and a copy of the game or as standalone software. The game was developed by FreeStyleGames for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 and the Wii™ system from Nintendo. The game is rated “T” (Teen – Mild Suggestive Themes, Lyrics) by the ESRB.