Activision trademarks 'DJ Hero'

USPTO filing could be precursor to turntable-based spinoff to billion-dollar Guitar Hero franchise.

Activision Blizzard certainly has big plans for its Guitar Hero franchise, with a fourth game in the series apparently slated for this year and a new Aerosmith-focused addition due out in June 2008. And the newly created megapublisher looks to be planning to increase its footprint in the rhythm game genre, with news appearing over the weekend that the company has trademarked the name DJ Hero for "video game software" and "video game controllers."

Scratch Piklz = DJ Hero bosses?

As reported by trademark-focused Web site Trademork, Activision Publishing first filed the trademark request on February 8, 2008. According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office's Trademark Application and Registration Retrieval System, the DJ Hero trademark applies to "computer game software and related instruction manual sold together as a unit; interactive video game programs; computer game discs; downloadable software for use in connection with computer games; video game controllers; Interactive video game comprised of a CD or DVD sold as a unit with a video game controller."

The trademark filing is the first official move by Activision into the turntable-based music sphere, a move many game watchers had predicted after Guitar Hero's massive success. Last month, the publisher announced that the rhythm game franchise, which it bought in 2006 for nearly $100 million, has generated over $1 billion in sales worldwide.

323 Comments

  • emkplayboy6

    Posted Jun 3, 2009 2:31 pm PT

    This is gonna rock!

  • hardstyle77

    Posted Mar 18, 2009 7:45 am PT

    i hope i can spin hardcore or industrial on it

  • Killingspree303

    Posted Jan 16, 2009 9:14 am PT

    They must have run out of ideas... What music will there be in it? Hip hop, rap or techno? And how is the gameplay? Are you going to spin LP's?

  • NoseWeed619

    Posted Nov 15, 2008 1:20 pm PT

    Cool. So you get to be the DJ?

  • RockmasteR-_-

    Posted Oct 14, 2008 5:40 am PT

    I hope that DJ Hero is not for Hip Hop only, I hope House, Trance, Techno will be included, if that's the case, it'll be insaaaaaane

  • dj_c4

    Posted Oct 8, 2008 2:09 pm PT

    If it is anything like beatmania it will be crap. They better take some cues from the best scratch Dj arcade game to date "crackin Dj 2"

  • MoK86

    Posted Oct 8, 2008 10:02 am PT

    i hope this is a good game because i was not too happy waiting 8yrs for konami to release its game on consoles and it sucked.

  • king23_

    Posted Sep 26, 2008 7:16 pm PT

    This could actually be good if done right.

  • zig_star

    Posted Sep 22, 2008 4:37 am PT

    Oh my golly wonkers, what next orchestra hero? Bagpipe hero? For the love of game god your ruining the music series actvision!!

  • Maxer9

    Posted Sep 17, 2008 8:10 pm PT

    I can only hope that beatmania is revived in the US because of this.

  • jixzer

    Posted Aug 10, 2008 3:51 pm PT

    Activision is going to whore this train to no end.

  • reneetruss

    Posted May 12, 2008 7:07 am PT

    I knew it! I knew they would eventually get around to a hip hop music theme rhythm game.

  • charlieprince

    Posted Apr 20, 2008 6:19 pm PT

    ok dj hero... HOW WILL WE ADJUST KNOBS!!!? and the scratching will prob be EZ cuz it looks like u just put ur fingers on the scratch base and wala... still doesnt catch my eye even a lil bit

  • Adam_the_Nerd

    Posted Mar 5, 2008 4:16 pm PT

    I'd like to see how the PC variant would work. We have Frets on Fire for PC, now what'll we have for DJ Hero?

  • smbius

    Posted Feb 22, 2008 10:04 pm PT

    it just depends on how much that's all gonna cost now.

  • LittleBigGamer1

    Posted Feb 21, 2008 2:52 am PT

    sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet

  • Fable_fan88

    Posted Feb 20, 2008 8:00 pm PT

    Drum Villain . . . that would be awesome...

  • deadarknight

    Posted Feb 20, 2008 2:45 pm PT

    next they will come up with the game that was made up by the south parks creators in the ep "guitar hero" u know wat i am talking abt

  • FreddieGermany

    Posted Feb 20, 2008 9:33 am PT

    Bob Marley hero... when is that comming out

  • David_Kniffin

    Posted Feb 20, 2008 3:16 am PT

    rockstar_88, I'll agree with you. I can't see myself listening to (mainstream) Hip-Hop music when I'm chillin' by myself, but it's badass when you're out in a club. Terrible or not, whenever it plays, hot chicks from all over start dancing and there's something to be said about that. Any music tha creates that kind of a good time gets plus points in my book.

  • David_Kniffin

    Posted Feb 20, 2008 3:10 am PT

    CommanderShiro, GH is a ripoff of Guitar Freaks! Rock Band is a ripoff of GH/GF, Percussion Freaks/Drum Mania and Karaoke Revolution! Oh no, looks like your head exploded!

    *rolls eyes*

  • TehUndeadHorror

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 11:20 pm PT

    Lol groovy.

  • syafiqjabar

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 10:12 pm PT

    Hey, I don't hate them, it's just freaky when you see one and then immediately the other. Like an acid trip, or something.

  • syafiqjabar

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 10:08 pm PT

    DarthMegalon and Topherrawks, do NOT post next ot each other!!!!! Seeing Alf then the colour psychedelia so close together does not do a person's mind good.

  • MikeMoose

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 7:17 pm PT

    No.... Just no.....

  • HardBUCKSHOT

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 7:13 pm PT

    this will be good to play.

  • LordGavo

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 6:59 pm PT

    going to FAIL.

  • soccerdude256

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 6:57 pm PT

    Hurray for Activision, they're really taking big successful strides in the rhythm industry. Hopefully once they establish DJ Hero they can also release 'Cowbell Hero' and 'Bagpipe Hero'...

  • The_Houston_Kid

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 6:14 pm PT

    I love how all the guys in the picture are dressed gangster but are all asian... lol

  • McHenry2

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 4:50 pm PT

    ready steady go!

  • ghost867

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 3:25 pm PT

    Forget all you little rock heads who are so anti rap and couldn't bear to see a game like Guitar Hero in the hip-hop genre. If this does actually get made into a game (its just a trademark for now as far as we know) then it could have of potential to be a great game. You could have a guy on the turn tables, a guy on the beat machine, maybe a guy on the mic if you could find a way to combine tone rather then note recognition and vocal recognition.

    This has a lot of potential to be a great game. So all you little anti-rap kids out there need to grow up and realize your genre of music isn't the only genre out there. Grow up. I like Guitar Hero and Rock Band. I own both of them, but I prefer hip-hop and if this game let's me take the best of Guitar Hero and combine it with a genre of music that I love, I'll buy it.

  • killerbrothers

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 2:26 pm PT

    holysocks: "Activision is just doing what Konami failed to do here in US with their beatmani series."

    That's right. And the Guitar Hero games did what Konami's Guitar Freaks couldn't do in the US.

  • kirbykook

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 2:18 pm PT

    Maybe next we'll get Trombone Hero!

  • Imhotepp

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 2:17 pm PT

    I have an MPC1000 with JJ OS 2 ($1,000.00+) and Two Technique turntables $600. a piece) and vinyl, why game when I can make a beat and create a CD of my own music.....


    I won't spend the money. Didn't even care that guitar hero came out....

  • HALCONAZUL posted Feb 19, 2008 1:52 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    HALCONAZUL

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 1:52 pm PT (hide)

    whats next? Reggaeton hero?

  • black_ice23

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 1:28 pm PT

    hopefully we get hip hop and not techno im talking old school run DMC , DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, maybe some new stuff like DJ Khaled, or put some classic Hip Hop Bweat i'm Talkin The Notorious B.I.G.

  • peeweeshift

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 1:18 pm PT

    guitar hero never reinvented the wheel. it just added a gimmick and the gameplay doesn't match up to some others in its genre. dj hero sounds like another way to milk their franchise gameplay type. lets see its turnout

  • frano911

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 1:14 pm PT

    this is real stupid
    just make like guitar hero 4 or sumfin
    stop giving us this other junk

  • holysocks

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 1:12 pm PT

    Activision is just doing what Konami failed to do here in US with their beatmani series.

  • eezzy_rider

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 1:05 pm PT

    something i'll totally get

  • Black_Dragon159

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 1:01 pm PT

    At this rate all the music games will shoot off in a hundred different directions. I mean I understand adding new features and songs. Maybe a new instrument, but really wow. Soon we will also have Jazz Band or the mmo version Orchestra.

  • me_rock

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 12:52 pm PT

    I'm waiting for Ukulele Hero. Boss Battle, Tiny Tim!

  • powerframe8

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 12:45 pm PT

    am i the only one who thinks itll be alrite?
    Id rather wait for rock band 2. With like... keyboard and better drums.

  • elitedead

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 12:44 pm PT

    Lord have mercy. The audience...wannabe gangsters

  • GuitarsOfWarr

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 12:35 pm PT

    Wtf popular songs could the put in this?

  • padrenes86

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 12:30 pm PT

    it was just a matter of time i knew they would try this.

  • DoomBringer2010

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 12:28 pm PT

    I agree wit DerekLee anybody up for some Kazoo Hero?

  • Homsar13

    Posted Feb 19, 2008 12:20 pm PT

    and this marks the downfall of the 'Hero' franchise. it was nice knowing you.

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