As if the world needs any more “dj’s”, the rumors of a DJ video game similar to Guitar Hero/Rock band are sadly true. The game will be called Scratch: The Ultimate DJ, and is being developed by 7 Studios for Xbox 360 and PS3, with consultation from Quincy Jones III.

Instead of a guitar, players will use a turntable controller called the “scratch deck”, which was created by Numark. The game also sets itself apart from other music rhythm games by allowing players to “re-imagine songs on the fly and add their own creativity”, making the game a “dream come true for both casual music fans and serious DJs/producers”.

Well, as a “serious dj” this is far from a dream come true. While I am intrigued to see how the game works, I am hardly excited about how this will further dilute an important art form. Plus, i really don’t need any more noobs coming up to the booth asking me to scratch.

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When considering all of the changes happening in the music biz, especially how music is being discovered and distributed, I have found the role of video games particularly interesting as of late. Partnerships between record labels and game developers are a fairly new concept as far as I know, but are sure to become more common since games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band have proved to be a great platform for launching new bands, and reviving the popularity of some old ones. Aside from potentially increasing record sales, these games are also giving bands a new source of royalties.

While Guitar Hero and Rock Band are obvious picks for examples of video games that are affecting the record industry, there are other games which are perhaps not as relevant, but still capable of making a serious impact. Grand Theft Auto 4 was recently released and sold over 6 million copies in the first week alone. Like its predecessors, GTA 4 has a feature that allows the gamer to choose from various radio stations that basically have set play-lists. Imagine the benefits of being featured on one of those! One of those stations will actually feature a mixtape from the legendary DJ Green Lantern, and it was announced last week that music from the station would be released digitally through Amazon.

I’m excited to see how this relationship between music and gaming will evolve, as I think video games represent a very viable new revenue stream and promotional venue for bands.