Released on 26/11/2010

• Def Jam Rapstar Preview

  Jam packed

  If you find SingStar too girly and Guitar Hero too crusty, Def Jam Rapstar could be the music game for you. The title says it all - you grab a microphone and rap along to a stack of tracks from some of the finest in hip-hop.

  With input from the Def Jam record label, one of the few hip-hop companies to still be around from the early 80s, Def Jam Rapstar includes music from classic acts like Pete Rock & CL Smooth and Salt n' Pepa, through to Wu-Tang Clan, Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac, and right up to current chart-busters like Lil' Wayne and Drake.

  There will also be regional variations on the soundtrack, so the UK version of the game comes with extra tracks from Dizzee Rascal, Tine Tempah and Tinchy Stryder.

  You can go solo or rap along with a friend, and players are judged lyrically on timing and pitch using some very smart phonic recognition software developed by Terminal Reality and 4mm Games.

  The game even lets you rewind your performance and see where you might have stumbled over your words, offering the chance to pick apart tricky sections in a song so you can give a better performance next time.

  No cuss, no fuss

  Instead of using avatars, the developer has chosen to present the full, original music video alongside the master recording of the song, so you rap along to your chosen artist rather than a digital version of them. All the tracks are radio edits too, so you won't be cussing like a sailor in your living room.

  The game will come in two formats, one with its own wired microphones and one without. The game's hardware agnostic, so if you've got one of the many singing games already out there you can use those mics instead.
  
  4mm Games is co-founded by some of the original guys from Rockstar Games, responsible for Grand Theft Auto, Midnight Club and Red Dead Redemption, so you know the game is in good hands even though it's the first from this new developer.

  Def Jam Rapstar will come with 40 tracks on the disc, and it's promised that downloadable content including new songs and original beats will be made available on a very regular basis.

  As well as licensed tracks, the game will also feature newly created instrumentals from producers such as DJ Premier, with players able to rhyme their own lyrics over the top.
  

  Lose yourself

  The game is compatible with the PlayStation Eye on PlayStation 3 and the Xbox Vision camera for Xbox 360 and allows you to film your whole performance. Once you've been scored and rated, you can then pick the best 30 seconds to customise in with the in-built visual and audio editing software.

  It's simple stuff, allowing you to add stickers and visual effects, as well as audio tweaks likes echo, reverb and adjusting the levels to make sure you sound at the top of your game.

  Why would you want to do that? Because the next stage is to upload your performance to the Def Jam Rapstar website and have your skills judged by the community.
  
  The developers are building an entire website that allows everyone to check out any gamers rap credentials, with users able to challenge people to battles. You can get your friends on the site and via other social networks like Twitter, Facebook and MySpace, to vote on who they want to win.

  As players gain the respect of other users, they rise in the overall rankings and can earn different badges for online achievements. As the game is a proper collaboration with Def Jam Enterprises, the record company is even promising to help promote the best rappers on the site, and give out studio time with genuine producers to create their own music.

  Whether you're just looking for the chance to goof off and rap along to some banging tunes, or taking it so seriously you're ready to add your own lyrics to freestyle beats, Def Jam Rapstar hopes to put you on the worlds stage. You better not fluff it up.

• Def Jam Rapstar tracklisting to feature territory exclusives

  Def Jam Rapstar tracklisting to feature territory exclusives

  Apparently, forthcoming music game Def Jam Rapstar will feature territory-exclusive tracks when it launches on PS3, Wii and Xbox 360 this autumn.

  The developers have been spilling the beans on some of the track listings, and it seems the UK's first two exclusive tracks will be Tinie Tempah's "Pass Out" and Dizzee Rascal's "Fix Up, Look Sharp".

  French fans, meanwhile, will be getting NTM featuring Lord Ko's "Ma Benz" and Sefyu's "Molotov 4" and Germans can look forward to Sido's "Mein Block (Beathoavenz remix)" and Kool Sava's "Futrama".

  Def Jam Rapstar will come with more than 40 tracks, from artists including Dr Dre, the Wu-Tang Clan, Biggie, and 2 Pac. Players will be able to record their performances using console-integrated cameras and then upload them to the Def Jam website.

  "As I continue to travel the globe, I'm always amazed how hip hop has impacted youth culture in every country around the world," said Def Jam president Kevin Liles.

  "Each territory is creating their own movement, style, artists, and songs that resonate with the hip hop experience in their respective country. Hip hop is global, therefore Def Jam Rapstar must also be global, and provide local content providers the opportunity to represent hip hop in their own language in their own voice.?

As a valued customer we now offer you the facility to sign up to email price alerts. Please enter the price you want to be, or below, and if drops to that level we will let you know...