4mm Games unveils Def Jam Rapstar

4mm Games and Def Jam Interactive are teaming up to produce a rap-themed karaoke title.

Def Jam Rapstar, as it's titled, is due to go on show at E3 next week. Speaking to IGN 4mm's Lauren Wirtzer said, "There are not very many products out there that speak directly to the hip-hop consumer base. More than just a music game, this is a game that really incorporates all of the crucial elements of this lifestyle. It's not just about music, it's about swagger."

The studio has been established by Jamie King and Gary Foreman, who previously co-founded Rockstar. CEO Nicholas Perrett said their new game "will make the experience of rapping a song fun" - and the fun won't stop there.

"We'll also give you things to do once you've finished singing a song... We're going to give it features that encourage people to keep playing the game both on the console and keep interacting with a game-like experience on the web."

But what about the tracklist? 4mm has yet to name any names but is promising music from a rap artists through the ages. "We're trying to make a game that appeals to a very broad audience of anyone who has really enjoyed hip-hop music at any point in the last 30 years," said Perrett. "[It will] encompass that breadth of music across that whole period, all the way through to right this second what's coming out. Even stuff that'll be coming out at the very same time the game is coming out.

"If I had a Grandma who was into a particular type of hip-hop song, I want to know that I've got that as much as the one that my 14 year-old nephew is listening to," he added.

Def Jam Rapstar is out this winter, with platforms still to be confirmed. Eurogamer's Grandma is a Tupac fan but respects Biggie as an artist. How about yours, readers?