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Video: Pleo gets new dance moves, alpha dev kit
We've seen the Pleo get shredded, overtaken by a Wii wand, and generally mocked for its status as a perennially endangered species. With no dignity left to protect, its makers have decided they might as well kick out an SDK, or PDK in this case, to let the great unwashed masses have their way with the originally autonomous bot. Still only in the alpha stage and not yet widely available, the dev kit has already borne fruit in the shape of a shockingly awesome dance video. We've got it for you after the break, but a warning first: prepare to fall in love all over again. [Thanks, Eric]
Video: Sony Rolly vs Nao in epic robot dance off
While Sony's $400 Rolly never made much sense as a roll-about musical robot, at least Aldebaran Robotics' Nao could walk upright and play a little football. Now the two have come together to battle on the dance floor. The 91 second video posted after the break is about 70 seconds too long, but consider this your moment of Zen for the day. Bonus points for any readers who re-enact this for Halloween.
Just watch this trailer, and then Just Dance
The trailer for Ubisoft's just-dancing game Just Dance puts forth a pretty upbeat philosophy about life. No matter where you are -- the office, the convenience store, the, uh, 1950s -- it's the perfect time to turn on some dance pop from twenty years ago, turn into a glowing cartoon, and --Just Dance. Of course, Ubisoft would prefer that you just dance at home, by playing the Wii game this trailer is promoting, but you don't need to worry about details like that. You have one solitary obligation, and that is to dance. Due to its use of the Wii Remote, this game seems to emphasize arm movements in dance, contrasting with Dance Dance Revolution, which is based primarily on foot movements. We can't wait to see someone play both simultaneously.%Gallery-70594%
Ubisoft officially reveals 'Just Dance,' for people who don't mind looking like this
Originally discovered in a trademark, Ubisoft has announced Just Dance, a Wii game developed by Ubisoft Paris. While we had some interest in the title due to the possibility of it being Q? Entertainment's rhythm game project, the announcement shows that it ... isn't. Just Dance invites players to learn and mimic "real dance moves set to classic and modern songs across all genres they know and love," as CEO Yves Guillemot put it. Among the 30 licensed tracks: dance classics like "Groove Is In The Heart," "Pump Up the Jam," and "U Can't Touch This." But ... how do you do the MC Hammer dance in this game? Do you attach the Wiimote to your leg? Does it come with special parachute pants with a pocket for the controller?%Gallery-70594%
Ancilorn wants to know your favorite form dance
For some reason, this post in the WoW Europe general forums asking what shapeshift form has the best dance moves makes me suspicious. The poll itself is innocuous enough, although I don't understand why Tree of Life and Moonkin carry such a commanding lead (Cat is my personal favorite). No, the suspicious part is: why are they asking this now? New dances were a much-hyped feature in Wrath of the Lich King, although they have so far entirely failed to materialize. If they're still working on them, for 3.3 or 4.0, this might be some market research to see what sort of dances we like. On the other hand, it may just be an innocent piece of fun from Ancilorn. Who knows?
15 Minutes of Fame: So you think you can nuke
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/WoW_15_Minutes_of_Fame_So_you_think_you_can_nuke'; 15 Minutes of Fame is WoW.com's look at World of Warcraft players of all shapes and sizes -- from the renowned to the relatively anonymous, the remarkable to the player next door. Tip us off to players you'd like to hear more about.Forget the Brothers Karamazov. If you're looking for artistic expression, passion and the bonds of brotherhood -- plus a healthy dash of World of Warcraft -- it's all about the Brothers Kasprzak. Evan Kasprzak, a Top 6 finalist in the reality show So You Think You Can Dance, has gamed his entire life with brothers Ryan (also a top finisher in this year's SYTYCD show) and Ian. There's no denying how tight this trio is. One viewing of Evan and Ryan's journey through the beginning of this season's SYTYCD competition as a team (see video, above) or a glance at photos of the threesome with their matching wrist tattoos ("brother" in Greek) show the obvious depth of their bond. And so while Evan is socked in right now beneath the insane pace of the competition's home stretch, we snuck in a visit with Ian to find out how the family finds a foothold to fit all the pieces together. For the gaming, dancing Kasprzaks, support from family includes the WoW family. "In top 6, you can use all the support you can get," Ian notes, "and I know how amazingly supportive the smaller WoW community on my server has been. I also love how WoW.com highlights the multidimensionality of gamers. I think it helps break down some of those stereotypes that gaming is somehow isolating and anti-social, when it is very much a social medium. ... Sometimes, the person behind that Mage that just Frostbolted you might just be someone climbing up their way to the top as America's next favorite dancer."
15 Minutes of Fame: So you think you can nuke Part 2
"I never thought of playing WoW like that!" - neither did we, until we talked with these players
Breakfast Topic: World of Dancecraft
New tier sets and Arena gear are cool, new 5-man content is awesome, and a new Battleground is almost too good to be true. We're being hit with a flurry of new content it's easy to forget that Blizzard still has to introduce those new dances they teased us with before Wrath of the Lich King was released. I just remembered all of this when the world saw one of its pop icons pass on last week, the inspiration for the unmistakable Night Elf male dance. The King of Pop will be missed, and I'm happy that he at least got an homage in my favorite game.Just like the Night Elf male dance, many of the racial dances are inspired by some real world choreography -- Tauren males rock out like bananas dancing Peanut Butter Jelly Time; Draenei males do the Tunak Tunak Bollywood-style; Orc males can't be touched while doing the hammertime; Blood Elf females do their intoxicating Britney moves; and Blood Elf males relish every opportunity to display their Dynamite masculinity. As you can see above, the female Night Elf dance is a poor man's version of Alizée's live performance of J'en Ai Marre. If and when Blizzard does manage to put out those dance studios, what new dances would you like your characters to learn? Maybe something from Ok Go? How about some modern dance as a nod to celebrated choreographer Pina Bausch who recently passed on? Too avante garde? Perhaps Chubby Checker's twist deserves an homage, too. If that April Fools joke wasn't so downright silly we might even see some Azerothian Jabbawockeez. Share your thoughts with us, and even if you're not all that interested in dance, you have to admit that French pop isn't the worst way to start the day.
Breakfast Topic: Your favorite Alliance male dance?
So blue poster Ancilorn asked a question over on the EU official forums that was just offbeat enough that I thought I'd ask it here: What's your favorite Alliance Male Dance?I guess I never thought about it too much before, but really, Alliance male dances are just sort of... there. We have a bunch of old standbys. The Saturday Night Fever disco, the vaguely Cossack Dwarven dance, the old Michael Jackson Night Elf dance and that weird... thing Gnomes do. My favorite though, is the newest one, the Draenei dance. Tunak Tun was an old nerd favorite of mine, and was actually pretty popular on the Tarew Marr server community back when I played Everquest. It's dynamic and joyful without being as unsettling as the Gnome dance or nerdy as the human dance. In fact, when we finally get dance studios, I may switch some of my non-Draenei guys to it, if possible.What about you? What's your favorite?%Poll-30519%
Blizzard announces new Dance Battle System (that isn't real)
Blizzard never fails to exceed expectations on April Fool's Day -- in the EU, they reported on a brand new Pimp My Mount option (featuring tiger-mounted gatling guns), over on the forums, they RP'd the place up a bit, and now on the North American page, they've announced the game's newest feature: a Dance Battle system. They say that sometime soon in the game (that is, if this wasn't April 1st), players will be able to have dance-offs around the world, culminating in a huge dance tournament to take place in Kael'thas quarters in Tempest Keep. Wait, isn't that guy dead? Players will be able to form crews, which can then battle each other using player controlled dance moves and a vehicle-like interface.Of course, none of it is true, which is an extra poke in the heart to fans who really are waiting for the new dance system. We doubt it'll have a battle component, but the interface and the rewards are pretty intriguing -- so close to what we're really hoping for, and yet so far. And yes Blizzard, nice Lonely Island joke hidden in there. It was, in fact, a horror film.There's even a trailer for "Azeroth's Best Dance Crew (hosted by Acy Slater)," though we looked closely and didn't see any really new dance moves in there, either. But it's cute, and (maybe this is what Blizzard intended) only whets our appetite for the real new dances, supposedly still coming soon.
Phat Loot Phriday: Demise
Name: Demise (Wowhead, Thottbot, WoWDigger)Type: Epic Two-hand MaceDamage/Speed: 522 - 784 / 3.50 (186.6 DPS)Attributes: +90 Strength, +103 Stamina Improves hit rating by 49, which is excellent -- melee can almost always benefit from more hit And improves haste rating by 89 %Gallery-33600%
The Queue: Eight
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today.In yesterday's edition of The Queue, my partner in crime Adam Holisky did some speculation about Battlestar Galactica that was taken as a huge, massive spoiler. As far as I know, it wasn't actually a spoiler. I'm here to fix that. I'm here to give you a real, true spoiler. Are you ready for it?They shoot Old Yeller.hold up asked...Is the Realm First Ulduar Achievement based on completing Ulduar on Easy Mode or is it based on clearing the entire place including the optional Algalon "the Raid Destroyer"?
Fallen Earth shows its humorous side with dance emote video
Who would have thought you could have so much fun in a post-apocalyptic wasteland? Apparently the devs at Fallen Earth are having tons of fun with their new MMO, as they've recently released a short video showing off their in-game dance emotes.This video shows some of the fluid animations and character art from this upcoming post-apocalyptic MMO, currently entering closed beta stage. Some of the dances include the Carlton, the Charleston, the Pee Wee Herman dance, the obligatory Thriller dance and more! We also get a look at the animation team responsible for these character dances and their own characters.
Zarhym: Artists are "hacking away at" new dances
Okay, so we've been hearing this for a while now. The Dance Studio is coming at some point during Wrath, it's just been delayed. There's been no word about that beyond it though. We're not even sure if they have a rough target patch for it. It's just sort of out there, that unanswered question: Dude, where's my feature? Zarhym spoke out on it again the other day, and while on one level it's more of the same "it's coming when it comes" type of talk we've heard before, he does say that the art team is "hacking away" at it when they aren't faced with more looming deadlines like Ulduar. This is probably the first time that I can recall that we have had someone from the Blizzard team saying that yes, it is being actively worked on. Now admittedly, this still isn't a release date, and I'm still not expecting it until at least 3.3, but it's out there, which is the good thing. Here's looking forward to the day when I can have my Human Death Knight start dancing the Matt Dance.
Caption Contest: 49-foot ASIMO makes trees, dancers look tiny
There's nothing that screams "end of the world" quite like a 49-foot ASIMO towering over a forest, but we'd prefer to ignore inevitable doom long enough to imagine what exactly a 49-foot ASIMO would scream. Thomas: "Dance I said! Dance!"Chris: "Hey, did we remember to fix that bug where he falls down stairs?"Joe: "Where's Arthur Murray when we need him the most?"Darren: "Wait, Dancing With The Stars said what? No pimp canes? That's a deal-breaker."Paul: "In his musical debut, 'ASIMO Takes the Stairs,' the eponymous star provides a surprisingly self-deprecating reenactment of the moments leading up to his infamous tumble. Music by Elton John."Nilay: "Not to be outdone, iRobot later sucked the entire city of Pasadena into a football field-sized Roomba."Don: "After years of toiling away at two-bit trade shows, ASIMO finally realized his dream project: Mr. Peanut: The Musical."Ross: "Having been turned down by both Ultrazoid and Voltron, the giant ASIMO checked his RAM for a dance number he could do solo."Josh T.: "Moments later, running ASIMO's 'Jazz Hands' script sent dancers flying hundreds of feet to their grizzly deaths."Josh F.: "I'm crushing your head! I'm crushing your head!"Cesar (from Zune): "I for one welcome our inflatable robot overlords. With a dance!"
Just /dance the night away
About how long are you in a new game before you decide to check out the emotes? These gestures have become an integral part of the personalities we ascribe to our characters - and perhaps none more than the /dance emote. Ravious over on KillTenRats recently explored dancing in MMOs since newer games without the dance animations have had to spell out why they opted to step off of the dance floor. Many games have more than one animation for dancing. In fact, RuneScape has moves that can only be accessed by paid members and Lord of the Rings Online has dances that can only be gained after completing festival quests.It remains to be seen if dancing is what truly brings a sense of community to the city squares as Ravious seems to allude. But one thing's for sure - anything's better than sitting around watching the toy train set that never ends!
Blizzard updates emote list, you applaud. Bravo!
We knew that Wrath was going to bring new emotes (and some of them were even suggested by players), and now Blizzard has posted the full list, complete with which emotes have animations and voices, and none or both. The /cower is the most hilarious one I've seen so far -- the Night Elf /cower is just terrific. And some of these are old and just not very well known -- /nosepick, I'm pretty sure, has been in there since the beginning, but I don't remember ever seeing anyone use it in game.Unfortunately, they don't mark which are new and which aren't, but I believe /incoming is a new one. I've never tried out /sing or /ding. and /doh looks new to me as well. But odds are that there are at least a few you haven't tried yet, and we do know that lots of the animations are new for sure.So get in there and try out some emoting -- if there's an especially funny one you find, let us know for sure.Update: Commenter Jason M. nabbed this cache of the page from the Wayback machine so we can see what's old and new for sure. Thanks!
New details on upcoming 3.x patches
Curse is running an excellent story about their time spent last evening with Blizzard developers Jeff Kaplan and Tom Chilton. There's a few things we didn't know before that are in the article. The major ones are: Patch 3.1 is already done (says Kaplan). Will release Ulduar 10-man and 25-man raids. Patch 3.2 will contain a yet to be announced raid instance. Hopefully more on this over the next two day. Release date / timeframe is unknown. Patch 3.3 will continue the Ashbringer storyline. Release date / timeframe is unknown. Dance studio to be released after WotLK. Guild ratings, where guilds get a rating based on PvE/PvP achievements. The idea is being "tossed around." The other interesting note is that the development team is three patch cycles ahead of the live game. That's amazing, in my opinion. And beyond that, they're also working on the next expansion. Doesn't that raise your eyebrow just a bit? Perhaps we'll hear something major in the next few hours... Patch 3.1 brings us Ulduar, dual specs, significant changes to all the classes, and more! We've got you covered from top to bottom with our Guide to Patch 3.1.
Activision Blizzard files trademark for 'Dance Hero'
We know that the rhythm genre's communal idea well has been dry for quite some time now, but we find it hard to get behind Activision Blizzard's recent decision to trademark the title Dance Hero for "computer game software" development. Not only is it grammatically disturbing (shouldn't it be Dancing Hero, or rather, the Hero of Dance), but judging solely by the trademarked moniker, we think their new project may be an answer to Konami's Dance Dance Revolution series. There are just so few arcades remaining -- we'd rather not share them with a new generation of button-stompers.The trademark filing appeared around the same time as the rumors that DJ Hero, a title reserved by Activision in February, is actually in production. We'll be anxious to see if Dance Hero follows the same path (assuming the DJ Hero rumors prove true), or if it will join Drum Villain and Guitar Villain in the filing cabinet located within the basement of Activision Blizzard's Santa Monica headquarters. You know, the cabinet labeled "unusable, awful ideas".
Wii Fanboy @ EA Summer Showcase: Boogie Superstar
Gang wars and drive-bys are a thing of the past. In the modern world, anyone who's hip knows that disputes of all kinds are settled with dance-offs, grueling exhibitions designed to showcase swank clothing, swanker moves, and swankiest of all, the reward of shouting "You got served!" when you emerge victorious.Yeah, dance-offs are awesome, but they're not always a vehicle with which to end long-running feuds. Sometimes, dance-offs can be used as friendly competition. If you're a pre-teen girl eager to groove with your girlfriends at the next big sleepover, EA's Boogie SuperStar should cure your craving to dance the night away.%Gallery-26240%
