This special edition bundle not only comes with a JAY-Z and EMINEM 2-CD bonus, but a higher quality turntable with metal controls. And telescoping legs. And a big ass case to carry and store it all.

With the standard edition of DJ Hero retailing $120 on its own, it's not hard to imagine all this extra junk assisting the Renegade Edition in breaking the $200 barrier. And while I guess that hardcore fans may look at the supersized peripherals as monuments to their passion, most of us at Giz are sick of tripping over a series of controllers that work for one game—especially when all the controllers really do is help justify a single video game costing as much as the console it's playing on.

See more shots at: [Kotaku]

In this clip, the Numark Scratch Deck looks fun enough to use, but maybe more importantly, Numark promises that their toy turntable can teach you skills that are "transferable to any DJ setup." (We doubt that, but given that our own knowledge of mixing is pretty limited, any real DJs in the audience are invited to run that comment through their BS filter in the comments.) Maybe the game will offer some passing entertainment, but we still can't help but recall our Beatmania controller whenever we look at the thing. [Kotaku]

It's grown up a bit since the initial reveal sprouting a glossy black panel that docks on either side of the main turntable. It holds the mixer, effects dial, euphoria button and hides the usual Xbox buttons behind a small panel up top.









Here's how you play the game, with someone much better at spinning tracks than I will ever be showing us how a DJ Hero kills it: We didn't get to use the controller to play the game, but we handled it after the demo, and it felt remarkably solid—weighty without being heavy, the plastic adequately resilient, and not too cheap feeling. The spin action itself is super smooth and effortless, with a light wrist flick sending into a fairly zoomy spin. The Xbox buttons are hidden up top in the dockable half, to reduce the complexity of the controls as much as possible. Yes, it is wireless. Interesting trivia bit: All of the DJs in the game wear Monster's Dr. Dre Beats headphones.

Guitar Hero already destroys my hand-eye coordination past medium—with buttons, spinning things, effects dials, mixers, I already know there's no effin' way I can handle this game. But I'm going to try because it looks like it makes you even more like a DJ king than Guitar Hero makes you feel like a rock god.

The peripheral, dubbed the Scratch Deck, is a collaboration between real mixer manufacturer Numark and electronics manufacturer Genius. It allows for realtime turntable mixing, while five promised-to-be-authentic Akai Pro MPC-style drum pads trigger various samples. A crossfader, USB mic and right/left-handed controls round out the options while the game allows players to battle it out "in distinctive urban environments."

Available this fall, I'm just praying that Harmonix announces a new DJ game of their own at E3 so my turntable trifecta pays out. [Press Release]

It's notable that all controls seem to be placed on the record, meaning that, just as Guitar Hero can't teach you guitar, DJ Hero won't teach you mixing (unless we missed that red, blue and green button standard on vinyl for all these years). Good to know that the musically inclined are keeping those pesky gamers in their place. Look for DJ Hero this fall.

SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 7, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ — Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) is set to once again revolutionize how consumers interact with music by releasing three new titles this fall - DJ Hero(TM), Guitar Hero(R) 5 and Band Hero(TM) - that will redefine the company's popular music gaming platform. The slate will transform the way consumers enjoy and engage with music by offering the largest variety of music genres, innovative technologies and new social entertainment experiences for existing fans and millions of new consumers who previously have not joined Guitar Hero's global community of fans.

— The company's groundbreaking DJ Hero expands Guitar Hero's
signature social gaming to all-new consumers with the addition of
diverse music genres including hip-hop, R&B, Motown, electronica and
dance. Introducing an all-new innovative turntable controller, DJ Hero
transforms players into DJs who rule the club scene by creating original
mixes of popular songs and music from the world's most exciting
artists and DJs.

— Letting fans continue to fulfill their rock fantasies, Guitar Hero 5
features the hottest rock and roll artists today as well as classic rock
bands and gives players an unprecedented level of control over the way
they play the game with the ability to drop in and out of songs and
change band members, instruments and difficulty levels on the fly.

— The franchises' first E10+ rated console game, Band Hero delivers
an exciting music collection featuring top-40 hits designed to expand
the appeal to a broad family audience who can play together on the
guitar, drums, bass and microphone and experience a new genre of music.
The game builds upon Guitar Hero's easy-to-play,
difficult-to-master signature gameplay and allows novice players and
expert fans to join together on their favorite songs.

"Guitar Hero has made music social again and has become one of the most popular ways to experience music," said Dan Rosensweig, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Guitar Hero franchise. "Today's fans enjoy a variety of music and are looking for more ways to engage with their favorite songs, artists and fellow fans. These games will let them listen, participate and socialize with music in ways they have never been able to before."