Rumblings of Activision working on a "DJ Hero" game have been circulating since the company trademarked the title back in February, and now according to a report by Kotaku, a bevy of new details on the game have come to light. "Informed sources" say that DJ Hero -- which has been in development for nearly two years -- is set for release next summer, complete with a laptop turntable controller and a soundtrack full of mash-ups (such as Beyonce vs. Jimi Hendrix, or 50 Cent vs. Beastie Boys, as two theoretical examples).

The game is being developed by U.K.-based FreeStyleGames, makers of B-Boy and a recent acquisition by Activision Blizzard. The controller, according to these anonymous informed sources, will resemble a simplified DJ deck. There will be a "platter" for scratching (which is compared to the strum bar on your standard guitar controller), three buttons above the scratch disc for sampling, and a cross fader and sound effects dial that is compared to a guitar controller's whammy bar (presumably in function, not so much in form).

Considering the vastly different musical style, the gameplay in DJ Hero will have a few key differences to Guitar Hero. As opposed to notes simply cascading downward to the bottom of the screen, the music will flow from the top-right around to the bottom-middle (or top-left if you're left handed), wrapping around the semi-circle of a record represented on the screen. To play, you either hold down a sample button, scratch, or do some combination of both as neon icons flow around the record.