Konami unveiled the hip-hop game Def Jam Rapstar for North American gamers earlier in October this year, leaving much of the player base in other parts of the world in the offing. The company has now expanded the game’s reach as Def Jam Rapstar occupies retail store shelves across the United Kingdom for Xbox 360, PS3 and the Nintendo Wii console systems.
Def Jam Rapstar, created by 4mm Games, Def Jam Interactive and Terminal Reality, is reportedly the first ‘true interactive hip hop music’ title for consoles which aims exclusively at hip hop music, gamers and their social networks. This definitive title features 40 of the widely popular hip hop tracks from imminent rappers such as 50 Cent, 2Pac, Busta Rhymes, Diddy, Kanye West, The Notorious B.I.G. and Snoop Dogg.
“Today is a special day for hip hop, gaming, and the music business. With the release of Def Jam Rapstar and the launch of our social networking platform at defjamrapstar.com, fans will have access to the most unique hip hop gaming experience ever created,” said Kevin Liles, President and CEO of Def Jam Enterprises. “Def Jam Rapstar enables you to party with your friends, express yourself with your favorite rap artists, and offers you a ticket to the biggest stage in the world. The music-based gaming business had a clear void with no product speaking directly to fans of Hip Hop. Def Jam Rapstar is the answer.”
Allowing players to use their console cameras for recording and customizing videos with the in-game editing tools, the game enables them to even upload videos to the fully integrated Def Jam Rapstar community on its official website. Gamers can freestyle over tracks by few of the snazziest hip hop producers and upload their freestyle acts for other players to check out.
“Today is just the beginning for 4mm as we launch our Constantly Connected Gaming approach to the Hip Hop world,” commented Nick Perrett, CEO of 4mm Games. “Our ability to challenge the status quo in our industry is a testament to our pioneering partners in Konami, Def Jam Interactive, Autumn and Terminal Reality.”
Essentially a rap themed karaoke game, Def Jam Rapstar features radio versions of all the tracks and is reported to be lenient when it comes to user-side cursing. The Xbox 360 edition supports the Kinect sensor and particularly utilizes the sensor as an alternative to the Xbox Live Vision camera.
Def Jam Rapstar is available as a software only version which is priced at 49.99 GBP (approx. Rs. 3,580) each for Xbox 360 and PS3, whereas the Wii variant will cost gamers 39.99 GBP (approx. Rs. 2,863). A bundled pack enclosing the software and one wired microphone can be purchased at 54.99 GBP (approx. Rs. 3,936) each for Xbox 360 and PS3 along with a Wii version that retails for 49.99 GBP (approx Rs. 3,580).