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He's the [DJ HERO], I'm the Rapper
Posts
The problem with Salvation's sentence is the word "slap" - you eventually learn that you should be simply pushing the slider back and forth rather than trying to slap it as quick as possible, and once that happens returning to center becomes much easier :0) I thought it was going to be a big problem for me too but I found, like everything else, that I got used to it and now can move it around pretty much at will without going over the center very often.
Also cloudeagle I don't think mashups/DJ music is niche anymore - or at least not where I live. The hit music FM radio stations where I live have DJs spinning live fairly often (every afternoon from 5-5:30, every friday from 6-7 and like 10-2, most saturday nights live from a club, etc).
Steam: DigitalArcanist | XBoxLive: DigitalArcanist | PSN: DigitalArcanist | Backloggery: Houn
Disagree completely on point 2. A lot of the mixes in the game are of the style of music a ton of us grew up listening to (R&B/hip-hop/dance), and the club scene in general (at least here in the Bay Area) is full of this sort of music. And the non-R&B/hip-hop stuff is remixed in a way that's still appealing to this particular demographic. There's a huge fanbase for this sort of music that to this point has never really gotten a music rhythm game that caters to "their" music.
It might not be "mainstream" in a national sense, but in many areas it can be considered "mainstream" as this is what we tend to listen to to begin with.
Yeah, there's a small region around the true middle point that the game will still register as being in the middle. You'll pick it up with enough practice.
My preferred musical style to mix is drum'n'bass, I like complex beats. Ten years ago, DnB was a truly underground type of music. Since the rise in popularity of the internet, you hear drum'n'bass beats in car commercials now. There may not be an FM radio station for it, but I know very few people who haven't heard some jungle (even if they don't know that's what they heard).
I think we disagree here on what we mean by "mainstream." If mashups were truly mainstream, then we'd see radio stations playing them regularly (as opposed to a few stations doing half-hour segments here and there), it would be covered extensively by Entertainment Weekly and People, we'd be seeing widely-attended live performances across the nation, etc. etc. And that just hasn't happened. People who know about music know about mashups. But for every one person who knows about mashups there are at least 10 who never listen to anything that isn't played on top 10 radio.
Sure, there are plenty of people interested in mashups. Just not nearly enough to support the kind of rollout Activision's aiming for.
You're idea that Entertainment Weekly or People have to talk about something for it to be mainstream is kind of funny as well. There is a lot of shit EW and People don't cover regularly but are considered mainstream (like any music not performed by Miley Cyris and her ilk).
There's a significant amount of people who wouldn't consider GH or RB but might consider DJ Hero because of their music preferences, those of us who mainly listen to R&B or hip-hop or freestyle or similar genres are much more likely to appreciate dance/club style mashups regardless of what songs comprise the mix - whether the game can manage to reach out to all of these people or not will be more due to the price than anything.
But that's the thing. It's actually fairly rare for top-10 radio to do mashups. If mashups were truly mainstream, then even places somewhat culturally off the grid like Oklahoma (where I live) would have them. But they don't. And believe it or not, but EW and People actually cover a pretty wide range of music. Bubblegum pop yes, but also rock, country, rap, etc. etc. EW actually delves into some fairly obscure stuff... but never mashups. Besides, EW and People are the very definition of mainstream. And yes, Miley Cyrus is EXTREMELY mainstream, as you said.
Also, you're discounting the effect of the many, many people who are resistant to listening to something new. They want to listen to the same damn thing they're comfortable with. Say a mashup involving Lady Gaga starts up. "Oh cool, it's Lady Gaga! I like her!" And then the other artist's music creeps in. "Wait, what the fuck is this? Ewww. *turns it off*"
And focusing on the "mashup" part of the game... well, that's pretty much 80% of the game, isn't it?
Seconds, clubs and DJ music are very main stream, and DJ music right now is mashups, that's what you hear when you go to the club. Show me one hiphop or pop song these days that doesn't make a reference to "goin to da club".
Yeah, I don't quite understand how the club scene can't be considered mainstream for the 18-35 crowd, especially if they primarily listen to R&B/hip-hop stuff. And the older demographic likely did the same thing when they were younger, though they would likely prefer the R&B/hip-hop/dance music of their time to the current stuff. I have plenty of friends who hit the club on a regular basis back in college or grad school, or even to this day for major party events like Halloween or New Years Eve or for things like Vegas trips.
Never mind the fact that the dance clubs I've been to don't play mashups, but whatever.
Okay then, if mashups truly are mainstream, then this question will be very, very easy to answer:
Can you name three mashup albums that have gone platinum?
Club music / Mashups are not mainstream. There is not a significant number of people who go out of their way to buy mashup albums.
Steam: DigitalArcanist | XBoxLive: DigitalArcanist | PSN: DigitalArcanist | Backloggery: Houn
Second, club music is mainstream, whether you want to admit it or not.
This whole conversation is kind of hilarious. Someone from Oklahoma trying to tell me what's pop culture mainstream in LA or NYC (the latter of which I lived in for quite some time, and where club music is hugely mainstream and popular).
As far as "mashup" albums that are platinum? Kind of a silly question, as you couldn't legally sell a mashup album without going through a ton of legal red tape. Ask DJ Danger Mouse about that, who has probably the most popular mashup album of all time (The Grey Album). I can name several club DJ's who have platinum/gold records though: Tiesto, Paul Oakenfoild, Benny Benassi, Ferry Corsten, Bad Boy Bill (although he's a shitty mixer, he sells a ton of records), Andy C from the UK...the list goes on. Contrary to popular belief, people do buy dance/club music.
I would assume that mashups are something someone would do until they have the money, resources and skills to create a wholly original album.
Oh and just off the top of my head, Fatboy Slim and Crystal Method had platinum albums.
PSN: mantis-23 Steam: mantis_23 Origin: MantisTwoThree
Crystal Method and Fatboy actually do wholly original works.
Just glancing at the top 200, I see Jay-Z's Blueprint 3 and The Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D. in the top 10, both of which are huge club albums. Jay-Z's album is "hip-hop" in terms of how it's classified, but both contain club tracks (The E.N.D. is basically ALL club tracks, go listen to it), and both get heavy play at clubs and are used very heavily in mash-ups (Jay-Z's tracks are used in the very DJ Hero we are discussing).
Considering this argument began when I said DJ Hero faces a sales problem, then yes.
Live albums go platinum all the time.
No it's not really. Some of it sells decently, but then again polka music sells decently (no, really).
Actually, the fact that I'm from Oklahoma makes me an excellent judge of what's mainstream, because mainstream stuff goes everywhere.
Look, just because something is mainstream in one place doesn't make it mainstream nationwide. Enthusiasts tend to fall for confirmation bias all the time. Because they run into other people who share their interests, they assume that huge number of people share their interests.
Soundtrack albums that gather songs from all kinds of different recording companies go through this red tape all the time, and they go platinum. Also, the Now That's What I Call Music albums, which went platinum all the time.
Which has not gone platinum.
Those aren't mashups, plus you mixed in gold records.
I'm not trying to say club music is "mainstream," but that for a significant demographic GOING to a club is very mainstream. And in most urban/metro areas, the music played at these clubs are very much similar to what's in DJ Hero. This has nothing to do with what artists are charting or sales numbers or any of that really.
Again, my response to cloudeagle on the issue of sales issues was that the music selection isn't one of the major factors, as there is a clear and large potential audience there. I've seen numerous impressions around that have stated that DJ Hero was "finally a music game for me" as they don't know a lot of the tracks in GH or RB games, and know many many others who would also share that sentiment.
So while I agree that sales may not meet expectations, I don't agree it's related to the music. It'll primarily be the price. If anything, it'll be BECAUSE of the music that the game ends up selling surprisingly better than people expect.
They go to clubs, but they don't buy the music. Which contradicts the point I made about DJ Hero's music being niche as far as sales goes not one whit.
I have to agree with this. I've been to a fair amount of clubs in my day, and I can tell you that the music being played in those clubs had little to nothing to do with my reasons for being there.
I'd venture that I'm not alone here.
PSN: mantis-23 Steam: mantis_23 Origin: MantisTwoThree
So, because you can't think of three mashup albums that have gone platinum, you've chosen to insult me. Classy.
Also, you apparently haven't heard the phrase "but will it play in peoria?"
http://www.yourdictionary.com/idioms/play-in-peoria
In other words, "is it mainstream?"
I'm not insulting you, I'm finding humor in the fact that you think the pulse of Oklahoma is what determines mainstream popularity in America, when it's much more driven by what happens in LA, NYC, Miami and Seattle. There is nothing wrong with Oklahoma, but the idea that it's the pulse of America for pop culture is...funny, that's all. Don't take it as an insult, because I don't mean it as one.
Also, I have heard the term "will it play in peoria", and I can think of a lot of mainstream music that wouldn't play in Peoria (any hiphop ever comes to mind).
sooo.... a concert basically? I mean yeah, if you go to a place full of people who went there specifically to see/hear that type of music, that is not the best place to get a feel for how that music is perceived by the masses.
This is ALWAYS the main goal.
PSN: mantis-23 Steam: mantis_23 Origin: MantisTwoThree
You'd be surprised. Movie/TV executives test out movies and shows in smaller metro areas all the time to gauge how much middle America will enjoy it. Because, the theory goes, if those in less culturally refined areas like it, a much wider audience will like it. You're less likely to find people with highly specialized tastes there (or so the theory goes).
Not to mention that, if things are popular enough to be mainstream, they'd be likely to be well-known in backward-ass places like Oklahoma. And believe me, Oklahoma's pretty backward-ass.
Edit: MadJyle, that was awesome.
What? Of course they buy some of the music. Many of the tracks in DJH did well on R&B/hip-hop/urban charts when they first came out - many of us grew up to this stuff. And no, they don't generally buy mixes - if they really want a particular mix, they usually ask for a copy from someone who knows the DJ.
But how does not buying mixes equate into not being interesting in the music and, by extension, the game? I just don't understand how you seem to keep missing the point I've been trying to make.
Poll: How many people here can say that most of their friends have listened to and enjoyed the Grey Album?
I'm going to guess the number of affirmatives is low. I do not know anyone else that likes this album. In fact, very few people I interact with on a daily basis have even heard of it, let alone listened to it, even WITH my recommendation.
Steam: DigitalArcanist | XBoxLive: DigitalArcanist | PSN: DigitalArcanist | Backloggery: Houn
get new friends
I force all of my friends to listen to the Kleptones. Constantly.
Bolded for Keyword. If you have to force people, it's not mainstream. :lol:
Steam: DigitalArcanist | XBoxLive: DigitalArcanist | PSN: DigitalArcanist | Backloggery: Houn
Have you seen the pictures of my hands?
The mainstream is whatever I tell it to be.
In all honestly, though, word of mouth is how music is supposed to become mainstream.
Xbox: UnbreakableVows | PSN/Wii U: UnbreakableVow | 3DS: 1521-3241-9354
Not my fault.
I get bored when I'm not at home, playing DJ Hero on my gold and black turntable