DJ Hero dev's fate still undecided

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 24 February, 2011

"We hope to have more news soon."

The fate of DJ Hero developer FreeStyleGames remains undecided as Activision continues to make good on its promise to cull 500 jobs from its business.

In a brief update issued this morning, the UK studio revealed it's still in talks with owner Activision over the future of the studio.

"We continue positive discussions with Activision around possible routes for FreeStyleGames," design director David Osbourn, creative director Jamie Jackson and commercial director Chris Lee said in a joint statement.

"We have not reached an agreement as of today, however we are in continued dialogue and hope to have more news soon.

"Messages from the industry and gamers alike have been warmly received and we are incredibly grateful for the support."

Earlier this month Eurogamer broke the news that Activision had closed its Guitar Hero business, ending the Guitar Hero and DJ Hero franchises. The US giant also revealed plans to axe 500 jobs.

Activision has let staff go at studios 7 Studios and Vicarious Visions, Freestyle is yet to confirm it has suffered any layoffs.

During Activision's financial call to investors, publishing boss Eric Hirshberg explained the decision.

"Given the considerable licensing and manufacturing costs associated with this genre, we simply cannot make these games profitably, based on current economics and demand," he said.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (6) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • iwantmynameuk #1 1 year ago

    RIP DJ Hero, you had so much more to give

  • chrisjm #2 1 year ago

    Theres life in the old dog yet, dont put it down.

  • Katanax #3 1 year ago

    So essentially they're looking for a buyer with a view to close? Sounds far too familiar.

  • freethinker101 #4 1 year ago

    Damn, if I knew I would have put it on my Christmas list.... Time to finish up and trade in a few titles and get me some decks.
    I have never been interested in these types of games, but I have played DJ Hero 2 and it was so much fun.....

  • SAMagic #5 1 year ago

    Activision has let staff go at studios Infinity Ward and Treyarch.

    During Activision's financial call to investors, publishing boss Eric Hirshberg explained the decision.

    "Given the considerable development time and manufacturing costs associated with the FPS genre, we simply cannot make these games profitably, based on current economics and demand," he said.

    I'm calling that the above happens in 3-4 years. Milk them and move on, works a treat!

  • Lee_Morris #6 1 year ago

    DJ Hero is such a brilliant game. It's such a shame that it didn't catch on. I believe you can get DJ hero 1 + deck in HMV for £30. It's easily worth that. The music is so fresh even if the first game's style (background, characters) is a little off. The music is so fresh.

    Might be a silly question (well my girlfriend thought so) but does anyone think part of the reason why the game didn't catch on because the game is too cool? Gaming isn't generally cool. Lets face it we're geeks but proud : ) I just think a good percentage of the people who would appreciate this music aren't into games.

    Anyone agree?