Activision sends word that DJ Hero 2 will be released today in store shelves in North America. Featuring cool new hits such as Eninem’s “Not Afraid”, Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance”, Rhianna’s “Rude Boy”, David Guetta fea. Kid Cudi With “Memories” and more! If you missed it, be sure to watch our interview from the Sony Holiday 2010 event where we get shown the new slick piano finish turn table controller.

Now available online and at retail stores nationwide, budding beat chemists, singing sensations and all of their friends will “Mix 2gether” to experience the best soundtrack in entertainment with DJ Hero 2, Activision Publishing Inc. today announced. Delivering an all-new, unparalleled music experience with 83 original, exclusive mixes featuring the hottest artists bringing their biggest chart-topping hits – including Eminem’s “Not Afraid,” Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance,” Rihanna’s “Rude Boy,” David Guetta feat. Kid Cudi with “Memories” and B.o.B feat. Bruno Mars with “Nothin’ On You” – DJ Hero 2 will transform ordinary living rooms into the hottest nightclubs. The follow-up to the award-winning, #1 new videogame IP of 2009, DJ Hero 2 provides the ultimate way for gamers to come together with a host of new multiplayer modes that pit DJ against DJ in unique Battle Mixes, invite vocalists into the spotlight with scoring based on pitch and range detection and bring the party to life with jump-in/jump-out Party Play gameplay.

To celebrate the launch of DJ Hero 2, various retailers nationwide are offering an assortment of limited-time gift with purchase offers including:

· Best Buy – Fans who pick up DJ Hero 2 at Best Buy will receive a premium hard-shell turntable carrying case that converts to a performance-ready DJ stand as a gift with the purchase of a DJ Hero 2 Turntable Bundle or Party Bundle.

· WalMart – At WalMart, consumers that pick up a specially marked DJ Hero 2 Party Bundle on Wii or Xbox 360 will also receive a copy of DJ Hero – giving gamers over 170 mixes in total – while supplies last.

· Amazon – Gamers who purchase DJ Hero 2 exclusively from Amazon.com between October 17 at 12:01PM PST and October 23 at 11:59PM PST will also receive a copy of Linkin Park’s chart-topping new album, A Thousand Suns with their copy of the game.*

“With new social game modes, the inclusion of full microphone support, all-new levels of creative freedom and the best soundtrack in entertainment, DJ Hero 2 is truly an amazing mixer of music and friends,” said David Haddad, CEO of Guitar Hero. “DJ Hero 2 further pushes the boundaries of music and gaming by coupling exclusive, original mixes with accessible, innovative gameplay that together will continue to revolutionize the way people experience music.”

“With DJ Hero 2 we wanted to build a game that would bring something new to parties. Something that would be mad fun for two people or a living room full to bursting! It’s all about the music,” said Jamie Jackson, Creative Director of FreeStyleGames. “We’ve mixed some of the biggest hits by some of the biggest and most current artists in the industry, be it pop, hip hop or dance and added the DJ Hero gameplay with two turntables and a microphone. It is the sequel to last year’s big hit and is the sickest party game of 2010!”

Featuring the biggest dance, pop and hip-hop hits by the hottest artists everyone knows and loves remixed by world-class DJ’s in an all-new way, the game’s soundtrack delivers 83 unique creations only available in DJ Hero 2. Further immersing players into the music, the game offers a heightened level of creative input and allows everyone to add their own touch, directly impacting the beats they’re spinning with freestyle scratching, crossfading and sampling. The game will also feature an all-new career-based Empire Mode where players start out as an up-and-coming DJ on the road to becoming the head of a major entertainment empire, all of which is founded solely on their success as a DJ.

Available now, DJ Hero 2 invites a wave of new digital disc jockeys to the turntables as the game is available in a Party Bundle which will include a copy of the game, two turntable controllers and a microphone, offering the ultimate “party-in-a-box.” Gamers who experienced DJ Hero, the #1 new videogame intellectual property of 2009, can pick up DJ Hero 2 as a Turntable Bundle featuring one turntable controller and a copy of the game or as standalone software. The game was developed by FreeStyleGames for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION 3 and the Wii system from Nintendo. The game is rated “T” (Teen – Mild Suggestive Themes, Lyrics) by the ESRB. For more information about DJ Hero 2, please visit www.djhero.com, www.facebook.com/djhero and www.twitter.com/djhero.