Activision is doing their part in making sure we have plenty of rhythm games this fall. They recently announced DJ Hero 2 will be released October 19, smack dab in between Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock and Rock Band 3.

From a business perspective, I’m not sure how smart it is to release DJ Hero 2 in between the new entries of the two largest rhythm game franchises. I foresee one of two things happening. Gamers will get caught up in the rhythm frenzy and dare to take the DJ Hero plunge, or the more likely scenario, people will spend all their money on either Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock or Rock Band 3 and not have any leftover.

From both the Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock setlist and Rock Band 3 setlist, it is evident the developers are feeling the pressure to revitalize their somewhat worn-out series. Rhythm games have begun to feel stale and with the exception of Rhythm Heaven, I haven’t genuinely loved a music game since the first few Guitar Hero games.

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock is introducing new artists to keep the series fresh and Rock Band 3 is making major updates that could revolutionize rhythm games. Check out the impressions from our hands on time with Rock Band 3 at E3. For DJ Hero 2 to succeed it needs to not only improve upon the original, but bring something fresh to the table.

I never played the original DJ Hero. Not because I didn’t want to, but simply because I couldn’t afford another plastic instrument. However, the more Activision reveals about DJ Hero 2, the harder it is to resist. The new Empire Mode looks great and seems to really enrich the franchise. Also, it wouldn't hurt to see some of the improvements suggested in Game Rant’s DJ Hero 2 opinion piece.

I’m looking forward to DJ Hero 2 and hope it’s the breath of fresh air the genre needs. Is DJ Hero 2’s release date a bad move? Which rhythm games will you be playing this fall?

DJ Hero 2 will be released October 19 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii.

Source: 1up