Turntable Legend DJ Qbert to Join the Distinguished Crew of Mixologists for DJ Hero® 2

SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- When the party starts this October, budding beat chemists, singing sensations and all of their friends will fire up two turntable controllers and a microphone, and spin, scratch and battle with the legendary turntablist DJ Qbert in Activision Publishing Inc.'s (Nasdaq: ATVI) DJ Hero® 2.  A defining member of DJ culture, having been crowned the best in his craft in multiple world championship competitions and revolutionized turntablism, DJ Qbert joins the distinguished rank of playable characters that will appear in-game, including Deadmau5, David Guetta and others, and will deliver two scratch intensive mixes to the best soundtrack in entertainment.

"I'm excited about finally getting to bring the art of turntablism's defining skills, as well as two exclusive mixes, to DJ Hero 2," said DJ Qbert.  "It's been a dream of mine as a gamer to battle myself on the turntables and now millions of fans around the world and their friends will get their chance to also."

"As a pioneer of his craft, DJ Qbert's one-of-a-kind scratch and battle skills made him an amazing partner and prefect representative of DJ Hero 2's new multiplayer modes, especially the unique DJ vs. DJ battle mixes," said Tim Riley, Vice President of Music Affairs, Activision.  "We're bringing together the biggest and best DJ's from around the globe, having already announced Deadmau5 and David Guetta as part of our incredibly talented crew, and having DJ Qbert cut up records in his signature style will help us put an indelible stamp on the DJ Hero 2 soundtrack."

The ultimate mixer of music and friends, DJ Hero 2 will deliver 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 invite 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 over 80 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 will also feature 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.

Dropping this fall, DJ Hero 2 will invite a wave of new digital disc jockeys to the turntables as the game will be available as 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 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 is in development 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.  For more information about DJ Hero 2, please visit www.djhero.com, www.facebook.com/djhero and www.twitter.com/djhero.

About DJ Qbert

Richard Quitevis was born October 7, 1969, in San Francisco, California. Known by his stage name DJ Qbert or Grandmixer Qbert, is a Filipino-American Turntablist and composer. He has invented the most scratching techniques and musical innovations than any DJ in history.  Qbert is credited for being the world ambassador of the DJ as a musician and turning the turntable into a respected musical instrument.

Hip-Hop's founders created a set of rules and created a tradition for champions, it was proven during DJ battles, and it was put on wax as the DJ's & MC's paved the path proclaiming their DJ was the best. To prove themselves, DJs would be judged on their scratching cuts.

DJ Qbert delivers on this discipline like no other DJ.  Along with dear friend Roc Raida of the X-Ecutioners they are the only two DJs in history that have been Knighted by the Grand Masters of the Hip Hop culture.  His peers and the media call him the Greatest DJ in the World, one of the most influential DJs of all time.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activision.com. 

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DJ Hero and Activision are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc.

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SOURCE Activision Publishing, Inc.