dancing
Latest
NPD: Sales of dancing games up 326% over last year
In the US, dancing game sales are up 326% percent year over year, the NPD told the LA Times. That's for the 12-month period ending October 31. Compare that with overall game sales, which rose 3%. Of course, at the end of October last year, Just Dance 2 had only started selling. Since then, it's been doing very well for itself, and has been followed by several spinoffs, including Just Dance Kids (and its sequel!), Michael Jackson: The Experience, The Black Eyed Peas Experience, Just Dance 2 Summer Party, and, of course, Just Dance 3. Too damn many Just Dance games can't claim all the credit for the growth in dancing-machine sales. Dance Central is at somewhere over 2.5 million units, and it's been followed by a sequel; Zumba Fitness has been a phenomenon, and Sony's Everybody Dance is also available. Update: corrected Dance Central sales figures.
New ArcheAge videos show off PvP, dancing gameplay
A couple of ArcheAge tidbits surfaced during the recent Tencent Games Carnival. XLGAMES' sandpark MMO was on display since it is gearing up for both its fourth Korean beta phase and a 2012 beta in Tencent's native China. Two noteworthy videos came out of the conference, and their radically different nature points to the breadth of gameplay on display in ArcheAge. First up is an over-the-shoulder clip featuring some five vs. five PvP gameplay. The action takes place on an instanced map known as the Siege Warfare Training Camp, and MMO Culture points out a couple of lingering bugs relating to character movement (as well as some interesting weapon combinations). The second video comes directly from XLGAMES, and it shifts gears in favor of ArcheAge's social features. While many MMOs feature dance animations, thus far the only title to take a serious stab at dance gameplay has been Star Wars Galaxies. ArcheAge looks to continue that tradition by allowing players to choreograph dances and coordinate with other dancers, though we are scratching our heads a little bit due to the jarring mixture of high fantasy and pop music. You'll find both videos viewable after the cut.
The Road to Mordor: Party planning committee, assemble!
Considering that Fellowship of the Ring begins with a huge party -- thrown in honor of Bilbo Baggins' eleventy-first birthday -- I think it's appropriate that Lord of the Rings Online is conducive to parties. I'm not just talking about dev-designed festivals, although those are great; I'm referring to parties that the community whips up from time to time. Part of the appeal of LotRO to me is that it isn't just all about killing and leveling; it's also about exploring and living in this virtual Middle-earth. Life for the Free Peoples means celebrating even in the midst of oppressive evil, and it's in keeping with the spirit of the enterprise to throw a shindig now and then. Turbine's given us quite a few tools and resources to use when assembling a party, and I thought that today we'd take an unusual detour from the Road to Mordor and go through the steps of throwing a memorable and enjoyable soirée. Ready to cut loose? Footloose? Good! Let's tear up the dance floor!
Pioneer's new music players give dancers some Steez
A walk in the park may never be the same again now that Pioneer has announced its new Steez range of dance-troupe friendly portable music players. In what appears to be a tango using its DJ and audio player skills, Pioneer's Steez relieves dancers -- solo or otherwise -- of the tyranny that is static music sources. Forget about getting your groove on in the privacy of your own condo, instead get busy on the subway, the drive-in car park, or with your favorite monkey. You have a choice of three models to express yourself in front of: the STZ-D10S-L "Solo"($299), STZ-D10T-G "Duo" ($349) and STZ-D10Z-R "Crew" ($499). Each model comes with the company's own special software which keeps your beats in time, lets you set cue points, change tempo along with many more booty shaking functions. Best of all is the special Battle Mode which plays your chosen sequence of tracks and lets you know when the next dancer, or robot, is up. These ghetto-blasters for the Tecktonik generation won't hit the shelves until next month, but feel free to tap your toes and read the PR below while you wait.
Eliza is a doe-eyed, graceful dancing machine, lacks maniacal quality on the floor (video)
Unlike the last batch of bots we've seen, Eliza is actually quite graceful. The cartoonish humanoid got its start as a guide, shuttling people around shopping malls and the Guangzhou Asian Games 2010 Experience Center. Now it's finally getting a chance to show off what it's got -- namely some ill dance moves. These four doe-eyed machines spin, perform complicated arm choreography in perfect synchronization, and pause to pose during this epic number. Clearly, the next step is for someone to teach them how to Dougie. Check out the videos after the break. [Thanks, Robotbling]
Spazzi dancebot can't teach you how to Dougie, but it's got the robot on lock
It looks like somebody's got some competition. So, Spazzi's probably not going to dethrone the reigning King of Cute, but judging from what we've seen of its moves, it could give Keepon some competition on the dance floor. This little, solenoid-packing robot, featured in the latest issue of Make, is actually kin to our boy Keepon, and uses an Arduino (holla!) to control the solenoid's and springs that give it that special robot swag. If you've been pining after Keepon, and have some DIY skills, hop on past the source link for the full build, or just check out a video of Spazzi gettin' its groove on after the break.
Raph Koster on the legacy of Star Wars Galaxies
Amid all the internet commentary sure to be forthcoming over the next few days regarding Star Wars Galaxies and its upcoming swan-song, none of it is really as relevant as the thoughts of the man primarily responsible for designing the original game. Raph Koster offers up a bit of commentary on SWG's demise via his personal website, and despite the brevity, he manages to touch on exactly why the game mattered to so many of us and why it will be sorely missed. "It gave us features that continue to amaze people who don't realize what can be done: Real economies complete with supply chains and wholesalers and shopkeepers, that amazing pet system, the moods and chat bubbles [...], player cities, vehicles, spaceflight," Koster says. It also gave us dancing, and while many progression-focused gamers scoff at SWG's social features, Koster rightly concludes that they may well be the game's legacy since they allowed us to "stop saving the world or killing rats and realize the real scope and potential of the medium." In the end, Koster says that SWG's potential may have overshadowed the final product, but what remained was nonetheless a mold-breaking MMORPG. "I'd rather work on something with great potential than on fulfilling a promise of mediocrity. There's a reason people are passionate about it all these years later," he wrote.
Visualized: Androidify avatar dance party (video)
Have your YouTube dance videos been lacking something? Can't quite put your finger on it? How 'bout another, more Android-y you to add some diversity to your One, Two Step? The folks who brought you the Androidify app have apparently enlisted a friend, his Android avatar, and a Kinect to bring you the above video. Not too shabby, but we'd be even more intrigued if he was rocking a black leotard and busting out Mexican Breakfast, Beyonce-style. Check out the not-so-Fosse video after the break. [Thanks, John]
Ph.D. student subjects advanced robot to dance, embarrassment (video)
This is Sarcos, a highly-advanced robot capable of balancing on his own two legs. He's also connected to a motion-capture system that allows him to accurately mimic the actions of a human operator. For what grand purpose does his puppet master Benjamin Stephens use these impressive assets? Dancing, of course. Seriously people, they're going to remember this when the time comes for revolution. Video after the break.
Hyperspace Beacon: Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter
It's interesting: When I'm intrenched in the news of Star Wars: The Old Republic, I tend to forget sometimes what people know and don't know. For instance, I love what I've seen of Guild Wars 2, but if you were to ask me, "Who is that tiny race with the big machines?" I would have to look it up. So it shouldn't have surprised me when I received an email a couple of days ago asking about non-combat activities in SWTOR. I know there has been talk of non-combat activities, but it's usually pushed to the side so that combat can take the forefront. I certainly don't blame anyone for that. Most players are interested in combat, and BioWare's marketing is, of course, going to focus on that. This message I received from Isaiah was concerning his whole guild. He asked the following: We are primarily interested in the RP aspects of the game. I theorized that the RP elements and player interactions on the RP servers will be community-regulated, meaning the players drive the RP as opposed to BioWare. BioWare briefly touched on crafting months ago, but nothing new has been revealed. What about mounts? Player housing and the ability to name our ships? What about non-armor clothing options and general RP immersion into the universe? I know it's a rather open-ended line of questioning, but do you have any insights or theories about non-combat activities in game? Beyond the break, I will answer these questions, and since he asked me about my theories, I will do a bit of that, too. See you on the other side.
Caption contest, video edition: Android gets its groove back
The Android mascot certainly gets around, there's no doubt about that -- but did you know it can also get down? Watch and learn. Tim: "And thus the talent portion of the Ms. Xperia Arc pageant proved to be far more interesting than the swimsuit competition." Darren: "First stop: Akihabara Mall. Next stop: Dancing with the Stars." Joe: "Fragmentation or no, our man can still krump with the best of them." Don: "And now, a preview of Android 3.2: Electric Boogaloo." Sam: "What version of Android is the person in the costume running?" Chris: "I call this next move the Force Close." Myriam: "Go-go gadget Android dance app?" Michael: "I've seen b-boys and b-girls, but never knew there were b-bots." Richard Lawler: "Chris Brown is making a quick comeback after today's Good Morning America blowup." Christopher: "Lady Gaga fires stylist following first mall appearance." Sean Hollister: "Look ma, no thumbs!" [Thanks, Anders]
The Perfect Ten: The evolution of /dance
I recall when I was a wee... teenager and C+C Music Factory would blast through our Walkmans to demand that everybody (1) dance and (2) dance now. It was commanding, enthralling and extremely dorky, but the dance could not be denied. Dancing is in the soles of our souls as humans; we simply must boogie to a good beat. I'm not quite sure when or where dancing in MMOs became all the craze, but these days it seems as though every game (except the dour ones with bears, bears, bears) prides itself on a good set of /dance emotes. For some players, it's the perfect way to unwind after a long raid or chew up a bit of time while one waits for SgtCuddlyMonkey to return from his refreshing bio break. For others, it's a legitimate career path with a long and distinguished history of gyrating on top of mailboxes while annoyed postal recipients long for a day when a pelvis will not be gesturing at eye level. So this week, let's loosen up, let our hair down, and samba across the ballroom floor as we count down (up?) 10 incredible MMO dances.
Choreographing a humanoid robot's dance routine is as easy as click and pull
You may not be able to build an HRP-4C fembot in your average garage, but the programming would practically take care of itself -- not only does the AIST humanoid sing using off-the-shelf Yamaha Vocaloid software, its dance moves are click-and-drag, too. Roboticist Dr. Kazuhito Yokoi gave IEEE Spectrum an inside look at the HRP-4C's motion trajectory software, which works much like 3D animation tools: you position the limbs where you want them to start and when you want them to end up using keyframes, and the software takes care of the rest. The system's intelligent enough to generate a 6.7 second sequence from just eight keyframes, and it compensates for hazardous instructions, too -- if your haphazard choreography would tip her over or send limbs flying, it'll automatically adjust her moves. See how it works in a video after the break and hit up our source link for the full interview.
Featureless avatars help scientists dominate the dancefloor
Scientists. If we didn't know better, we'd think they were messing with us all the time. But we know they're usually there to help, which is the only reason we've watched this video (after the break) 27 times this afternoon. Apparently Northumbria University researchers motion-captured a bunch of dudes dancing really hard, then mapped their movements to these fun models -- devoid of any popped collars, Ed Hardy vests, or Gucci bling to keep things scientifically pure -- then asked 35 women to rate the dancing on attractiveness. Turns out the left wrist, right knee, head, and trunk are most important parts to shake if you're a dude trying to catch the most feminine eyes in da club. Seems like those parts communicate a man's "reproductive quality" the most effectively. Now excuse us -- we've got a lot of work to do before Happy Hour rolls around.
NASA's Athlete Mars rover does a little dance, gets down tonight (video)
Its been a few years since we last checked in on NASA's All Terrain Hex Limbed Extra Terrestrial Explorer rover -- aka, Athlete. Now a half-scale working prototype standing 15 feet tall, weighing 2.5 tons (about 2,300 kg), and capable of a 1.25 mph (2 kmph) top speed has been set loose for testing by its Jet Propulsion Laboratory creators. Its first task, set to begin next month in Arizona, will be to complete a test circuit of at least 25 miles (about 40 km) in two weeks under its own power. Failing that, we hear Woz is looking for a dance partner. See what we mean in the video of Athlete demonstrating a flare for cargo transport after the break.
Cisco TelePresence enables intercontinental dance practice at the oddest hours
Never mind the time difference -- these kids are dedicated. Young dancers in Shanghai and New York are currently training hard in order to perform in "The Red Thread" later this month in both NY and CT, but rather than going by the beat of their own drums, the two groups are collaborating over a few oceans and quite a few miles. Turns out, Cisco's TelePresence is good for more than just linking up discombobulated teams in 24, and it has enabled the dancers to begin preparing for their big day from opposite ends of the world. Now, when's that real-time voice translation update scheduled for?
Preview: Dance Central (Kinect)
As a diminutive person who jabs at buttons and keyboards for a living, I can say with the utmost accuracy that dancing isn't my forte. You'll probably come to the same conclusion after watching the video of me gyrating to the beat of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face," which I've foolishly embedded after the break. I've placed it there because I want you to see -- somewhere in that garbled body dialect -- how rapidly the "Oh my god, I can't be seen doing this" phase is supplanted by an inescapable feeling of fun. The endorphins don't lie, guys. Dance Central isn't a quick-and-dirty ditty from Harmonix, the developers behind Amplitude and Rock Band. It's an immediately accessible rhythm title that trades multi-colored buttons for body language, presented in the form of easily processed silhouette cards. A practice mode enables you to gain familiarity with the dance move associated with each silhouette card, but I found them clear enough to follow correctly on my first attempt. Glance at the upcoming move card (think of it as the "next piece" window in Tetris) and prepare to mimic it and the group of on-screen dancers in rhythm to the music. It's like dancing in front of a mirror -- if you were a vibrant cartoon person with a boombox. The reflection of your own body, as captured precisely by the Xbox 360's Kinect camera, is almost hidden compared to the in-game characters, and it makes the game feel more collaborative than judgmental. In comparison to rote stomp-'em-down Dance Dance Revolution, it's a dance dance revelation. I understand there's a mental embarrassment hurdle to be cleared here so, if it helps, better to think of Dance Central as a hip, hip-thrusting exercise game. Either way, you should also think of it as one of Kinect's least abstract games -- you're not awkwardly driving an invisible car, for example -- and certainly one of its most promising. %Gallery-95780%
Nao robots get together to get down, put a ring on it (video)
We've seen evidence of the Nao robots' dancing capabilities in the past, but this gigantic group of them cutting the rug together is off-the-charts impressive. Check out the video below, plus a very special video we made just for you. Because we love you. [Thanks, Axel]
Ubisoft's Dance on Broadway hitting the Great White Wii
Given the crazy sales and, no doubt, small budget of Ubisoft's Just Dance, it seems obvious that the company would follow up with another Wii dancing game. However, the next game in Ubisoft's dance series isn't a simple Just Dance sequel (though we're sure that'll happen too) -- rather than licensing a few pop hits and a few really embarrassing dance songs from the early '90s, the next game is about ... showtunes. Dance on Broadway features a selection of 20 songs from Broadway musicals, including "All That Jazz,""Fame" and "Time Warp" (it's just a jump to the left!) The full track list is available after the break. Ubisoft has announced a June 24 release date for EMEA territories, but none yet for North America. The ESRB rating on the box art would suggest that a North American debut isn't far off.
Dance Studio still "on the list," say developers
The dance studio is perhaps the most enduring piece of vapor ware in WoW to date. First hinted at in the original WotLK trailer and announced in the months leading up to release, it was conspicuously absent from the finished product, however, and now that we're on the final major patch of the expansion, it still hasn't made it in game. The closest we've gotten to any sort of official word on it, barring the dance battle April fool's joke, is from a Curse interview with the developers that suggests the dance studio won't be in Wrath at all.
