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Are today's students getting enough gaming time?
There's an alarming epidemic facing high school graduates in this country. No, we're not talking about literacy or obesity or anything so unimportant. We're talking about video games. Get your priorities straight, people!According to a shocking report in the Dayton Daily News, the graduating class of 2007 is being distracted from important game-playing time by attention-stealing activities like "homework, jobs and extracurricular activities." That's right ... the promise of our future would rather do their homework than put in the important gaming time that will help them grow into mature and active adult gamers.What's worse, some of today's graduating seniors have a hard time envisioning a future that included normative social gaming. "If some guy was like 'You want to go on a date? We could play Guitar Hero,' and I'm 30, I'd be, like, 'No!,' " said one such lost youth. It's enough to make you long for the good old days when students knew how important a Pac-Man high score was to their future.[Via Gaming Today]
BMG to distribute Konami's music online
The place may be overrun with deadly monstrosities and the overwhelming powers of darkness, but the tunes that echo throughout the hallways of Dracula's castle usually make the vampire killing ordeal worth it. Sensing that others might share the dark lord's fine taste in orchestral compositions, Konami has announced an agreement with Sony BMG Music to distribute its library of tunes through mobile service providers and online music retailers, including iTunes and Rhapsody. The deal encompasses soundtracks beyond those belonging to the obvious Dance Dance Revolution franchise, even catering to those that find the clanging pipes and grating gears of Silent Hill preferable to the latest Ashlee Simpson squealfest.Konami also promises to make its vast history of music available for purchase on its official website, though specific release dates have yet to be announced. [Via Konami press release]
Motivatrix's MX9 Workout Master replaces aging stationary bike
Dance Dance Revolution has certainly helped pave the way for the health-conscious set to exercise whilst gaming, and even the Wii has sparked an outbreak of get-fit kids who endure hours of Wii Sports just to melt off those pounds, and now Motivatrix is hoping to get its exercise / gaming machine hybrid into your fitness room in place of that not-so-thrilling elliptical. The MX9 Workout Master mimics existing DDR systems in design, but it manages to feature a number of internal games inside to keep your workout sessions fresh. Additionally, the machine not only recognizes fancy footwork, but built-in sensors can understand arm flailing as well, and you can even "jam out to your own music" while breakin' a sweat. Most interesting, however, is the fact that its also an internet-enabled machine, meaning that exercise freaks across the land can compete against one another, giving even the least motivated individuals something to work for. No timetable was noted as to when we'd see these things hitting sporting goods sections, but until we get a crack at "Calorie Killer," we'll just stick with Simmer Down Sprinter.[Via CNET]
EA announces Wii rhythm and karaoke game, Boogie
With Rayman's musical mini-games and the multi-peripheral DDR franchise already making passes at the Wii, it would seem that Nintendo's system gets along famously with the rhythm genre. The two are like a pair of dazed lovers skipping blissfully through a park, unaware that their uncontrolled flailing and unexpected gyration is leaving everyone in the nearby vicinity with bloody noses and swollen eyeballs. That certainly sounds like the ideal Wii experience, at least according to EA -- they've just announced Boogie, a Wii-exclusive rhythm game that wants you to dance, pose and sing your way to living room stardom.On the heels of XBLA's Boom Boom Rocket and EA's announced intention to bust into music games "sooner than you think" comes a game which, at first glance, appears to be the result of Tim Burton drunkenly colliding with a Singstar demo kiosk. Boogie will see gamers producing the moves and vocals for a music video, presumably making use of that super secret Wii microphone. The nunchuck is also incorporated here, giving rise to the possibility that the microphone peripheral itself may also harbor motion-sensing abilities akin to that of the Wiimote. What's the use of a microphone if you can't twirl it about like a buffoon?%Gallery-2230%
The ultimate dance pad gets an upgrade
Want the arcade DDR experience at home. You can go the wimpy route and buy a decent metal pad for a couple of hundred dollars. Or you can geek it up and build your own custom DDR pad for a little over 400 smackers and over 16 hours of heavy duty construction time.We covered the original version of this pad back in June, but the updated version 2.0 comes complete with a sturdier frame of one inch thick steel beams, adjustable spring-loaded sensitivity and an even cooler LED lighting system than before. Hey Jared, how much to get a version for casa de Joystiq?[Thanks Jason]
Today's most freakin' sweet video: Family Guy, Clinton and DDR
"Hey, do you remember the time I went to Chuck E. Cheese with former president William Jefferson Clinton?"Bill Clinton, Chuck E Cheese and Dance Dance Revolution. O, those manatees doth weave a clever tale. Game site 1P Start proves how fast the internet works by already having this clip from last night's Family Guy uploaded and blogged.We laugh, but only because we can see the actual former U.S. President Bill Clinton playing DDR. Maybe not to an Aqua song, but perhaps .59 or Afronova. Video embedded after the break.
EA busting into rhythm games 'sooner than you think'
Much like its title implies, Guitar Hero arrived as a sort of savior for a rhythm genre that had grown a little too obsessed with hypnotic arrows for its own good. The rocking success of Red Octane's franchise thrust the genre back into the console limelight, with its financial gyrations quickly drawing the fixation of several publishers. According to a recent interview conducted by Stephen Totilo of MTV News, EA is one such a publisher.Upon being asked about EA's plans in response to the success enjoyed by titles such as Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution, EA's Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing indicates that the gigantic publisher is already positioning itself on the diving board. "I've been pushing for a long time to be honest with you," says Steve Schnur. "I think you'll see us breaking into the genre sooner than you think."Of course, one could argue that EA is already doing so with the upcoming Boom Boom Rocket, an Xbox Live Arcade title which sees (and hears) players detonating fireworks in rhythm to music. Is the Bizarre-developed title merely the first step in an increasingly complex dance maneuver? And more importantly, will there be an insane peripheral? If anybody's going to exploit the untapped Glockenspiel-breakdancing market, it'll be EA.See also: Electronic Arts mixes on iTunes
AOU 2007: Bemani sequels unleashed
It's the 10 year anniversary for Konami's legendary Bemani series of rhythm titles and you know what that means! More sequels! Okay, so they're not doing much out of the ordinary aside from some choice merchandising opportunities, but if you're a Bemani fan, sequels to your favorite series are about all could ask for at this point.Bemanistyle attended AOU this weekend to check out the latest batch of assembly line titles in Beatmania IIDX 14: Gold (featuring Ghostbusters), GitaDora V4 and the all-star of the bunch, Pop'n Music 15: Adventure. Yes, it took fifteen sequels but we finally get character previews in Pop'n Music. Whose to say they don't work hard for the money now?A few of the artists were on-hand, conducting interviews and generally fawning to their audience. Also making an appearance was Dance Dance Revolution Supernova 2, albeit in poster-form only.
DDR Universe track list revealed
Orange Lounge Radio has uncovered the gigantic track list for Dance Dance Revolution Universe, which arrives on the 360 later this month. While Guitar Hero II may have a rabid fan base, there is no denying that DDR paved the way for rhythm games in the mainstream. The track list is huge, and contains plenty of names with which we are almost completely unfamiliar. We do have to note with some excitement that the game features both Jamiroquai and the Sugar Hill Gang, though. If there's one song that might actually make you look cool while playing DDR, it just might be "Rapper's Delight." See the full track list after the break.
Konami reveals new DDR for Wii
As if playing the original Dance Dance Revolution wasn't difficult enough (we have no rhythm), the latest title for the Wii revealed by Konami is sure to be impossible. Called Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party, the game will demand players use three peripherals at once: a dance mat, Wiimote and nunchuk attachment. The game is set to release sometime this year.Check out the video, which has been embedded past the post break.[Via Joystiq]
Konami announces Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party for Wii
Perhaps Seizure Party would have been a more appropriate subtitle, as Konami's latest Dance Dance Revolution game will require the simultaneous use of three peripherals: a dance mat, a Wii remote and a Wii nunchuck. The Bemani developer has announced that their decidedly groovy franchise will pay a visit to the Wii, with Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party releasing sometime before 2007 keels over from pure exhaustion.The game will feature all the modes series fans are familiar with, though we expect they really mean it with Workout Mode this time. Konami also encourages players to invite up to three friends for fantastic and potentially dangerous multiplayer stomping, flailing and gyrating. Remember, it's not embarassing if you enjoy it.[Via press release]
Dancerific videos of DDR: Universe
GameTrailers released a couple of new videos from the upcoming Xbox 360 iteration of Dance Dance Revolution. The first video (embedded above) is a live action video overlain with the typical DDR interface. The video itself is pretty bizarre, and frankly a little disturbing. The second video is more standard DDR fare, although the digital vixen in the video benefits from a higher polygon count. Seriously, sexy dancing girls and freaky live action videos, it's like Konami is trying to distract the player. Watch the second video after the break.
Active gaming burns more calories, coordination still a concern
A recent Mayo Clinic study may indicate that kids burn significantly more calories while playing active games (e.g., Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 2, Wii Sports) than while engaged in sit-down games. That this conclusion seems obvious is part of the problem.Parents may now be more content than ever to plop their kids in front of the TV if they perceive that a few hours of active gaming will substitute for necessary exercise. Even if kids, on average, burn twice as many calories while on the dancepad than while button-smashing a gamepad, they're still simply engaged in virtual activity. Wii Sports might be all the rage but "touching a virtual ball is not the same thing as catching a real ball," warns Active Healthy Kids Canada director of development Jennifer Cowie Bonne, "You need those types of [real life] fundamental skills to build a foundation for a lifelong involvement in other types of physical activity." You wouldn't want Junior to grow up throwing baseballs like a pansy, would you?
Konami wants your music for the next DDR
Are you secretly producing some sort of euro-trash-cum-bubbly-pop wonder song that could whip the whole world into a certain state of stomping in place? Konami sure hopes so, as they're once again teaming up with Broadjam to find the next big thing in Dance Dance Revolution -- you! Konami is looking for songs that are at least a minute and a half long, above 120 beats per minute and include "strong and/or catchy melodies." Any chosen songwriters will get $1,000 and have their music featured in a future game, but, as the contest site oddly notes, "There is no guarantee there will be any winners." Considering you have to pay up to $20 just to enter, it sounds like someone could be making out like a bandit here.Last year's contest produced four winning entries, all of which debuted (and coincidentally, died) on DDR Ultramix 4 for the original Xbox. With Konami pouring less and less original effort into songs for their Bemani series, contests like these are increasingly valuable to them. It's either this or they dig through the dusty Beatmania library for one more go of "20, November."
Mayo Clinic prescribes active games
The Wii has been getting a lot of attention lately, mainly because of its different control mechanism. However, movement in gaming isn't a new concept, which hearkens to days such as the NES Power Pad. Now, exergaming is getting a supporter. The Mayo Clinic has released a report on the results of an exergaming study. Using a sedentary base, games that use a camera (such as EyeToy) and using a treadmill while gaming burned triple the amount of calories as sitting (five times over for more obese children); dance games registered the greatest calorie burn at six times the sitting rate. With this new study, Nintendo is likely to jump on and further promote the health benefits of playing the Wii. Pulling children away from video games is a difficult task these days. While the Wii will unlikely burn the fat like Dance Dance Revolution would, they can add a bit to the marketing pamphlet to say the Wii requires exercise (if used right) for something their kid would otherwise be vegetating to do. As if we needed any more reasons to buy a Wii. [Thanks, Ben]
Pump It Up heading to PSP (in Korea, at least)
PSP continues to prove itself as one of the best platforms for music games out there. Pump It Up is a game very much like Dance Dance Revolution, and it's insanely popular in Korea. PSP Vault discovered a new listing for a PSP version of the popular dancing game on Sony's official Korean website.The homebrew community embraced dance-style games through projects like PSP Revolution. However, DDR and its clones require you to input buttons that correspond to up, down, left and right. Pump It Up uses diagonals and a center button: how will these be mapped on the PSP? Puzzling, no?See also:DJ Max Portable, for non-Korean speakers
DDR dances its way out of 2006
It looks like Dance Dance Revolution Universe has run out of breath. Originally set for a fall 2006 debut on the Xbox 360, Gamespot is reporting that DDRU has been delayed until early 2007. Konami cited Microsoft's draconian rules for 3rd party peripherals as the reason for the delay. Which leads to the next tidbit: because of said draconian rules, the DDR dance pads will be wired on 360 (at least initially). Wireless pads are a definite possibility for the future. We didn't even realize a DDR game was bound for the 360 in the first place, so the news has only partially saddened us. What about the rest of you? Were any of you anxiously awaiting Dance Dance Revolution Universe?[Via Evil Avatar]
Konami to shut down Hawaiian studio
Much like the spritely amphibian star of Frogger, it seems that Konami's Hawaiian studio is destined to be mangled by a large (and largely oblivious) truck traveling on the "streamlining operations" freeway. Roughly 40 employees will be affected by the year-end closure, with Konami hoping to relocate most of them to positions throughout the rest of the company. No specific reasons for the change are cited, though John Strom of Enterprise Honolulu suggests that it stems from Konami's desire to scale back all game development in the US and focus on casino gaming facilities instead. Konami has not confirmed such a plan, but with most of their titles emerging from the buff Japanese arm, it's hardly inconceivable. The Hawaiian studio was responsible for games such as Frogger Beyond and Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix -- a roster not nearly as impressive as their valiant resisting of the obvious impulse to combine the two franchises into some sort of rhythmic, frog-stomping adventure.See also: Real-life Frogger (or: Roomba hacking is fun) XBLA Wednesdays unveiled
Japanese game commercials: you watched it, you can't unwatch it
Over at the wonderfully named Bits & Bytes & Pixels & Sprites, a set of Japanese video game commercials has been assembled for your entertainment and inevitable, irreparable and incredible psychological breakdown. Repeat viewing is not advised, though we suspect that for several of you, the lure of seeing grown men dressed as enormous microphones or Segata Sanshiro hurling human missiles about will be too great to resist. It certainly was for us.Our favorite commercial, one filled with painful foreign stereotypes and truly unnerving facial expressions, is embedded in the second part of the post. [Thanks Dan!]
