It may be a spin-off of one of the most successful video game franchises of all time, but does that mean DJ Hero will be a sure success? Not right off the bat, Activision says. Speaking to IGN, Red Octane co-founder Kai Huang said they expect DJ Hero sales to start slowly and build momentum over time (via VG247).
“We’re not expecting a typical videogame curve where you sell the majority of the units in the first month and then it decays quickly,” Huang said. “We’re expecting this to be the type of game that may come out of the gate a little bit slower, but continue to grow over time.”

Huang explained that despite the built-in brand recognition, the drastically different gameplay style makes it a case of almost starting from scratch. “We’ve got a bit of a head start, people have an understanding what music games are, it has the ‘Hero’ brand on it,” he said. “But at the same time, people don’t know what a DJ game is. They don’t know what you’re supposed to do. Our strategy again is to focus on in-store demos.

“If you look at Guitar Hero 3,” Huang continued, “which to date has been the most successful Guitar Hero game selling 12 million units, it did take three iterations to get the game out there and for people to know how it works.”

And however DJ Hero sells at first, a sequel already seems certain as Activision is reportedly already scouting musical talent for the follow-up.

Named after the Jay-Z and Eminem song of the same title, DJ Hero Renegade Edition will include an exclusive CD two-pack with unreleased tracks from both artists, as well as a premium turntable controller with a convertible stand.

Several mash-ups have already been revealed for the final game:

 ”Feel Good Inc.” by the Gorillaz vs. “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye
 ”Jayou” by Jurassic 5 vs. “Rockit” by Herbie Hancock
 ”Shout” by Tears for Fears vs. “Pjanoo” by Eric Prydz
 ”Bustin Loose” by Chuck Brown vs. “Time of the Season” by the Zombies (DJ Shadow Mix)
 ”All Apologies” by Nirvana vs. “Give It to Me Baby” by Rick James (DJ Shadow Mix)
 ”Let’s Dance” by David Bowie vs. “Jack of Spades” by KRS One (DJ Shadow Mix)

No word yet on how much will this special edition cost. But it won’t be low-priced with the standard version already priced at an arguably steep $119.99.