A Japanese-based firm is on the verge of exporting an arcade dance simulation game, called Dancing Stage EuroMIX, to Britain and other European countries, according to this Reuters story. Or go to the manufacturer's website.

<small>[ 22 August 2003, 08:47 AM: Message edited by: Azlan ]</small>

What wonderful news, Azlan - I've been looking for an opportunity to hone my Foxtrot and Military Twostep.

Oh that's weird. That's just plain strange. It's like saying you're a better singer because the humanoid you programmed does a better version of Liza Minelli every time you sign on. Someone please tell me dancing doesn't have anything to do with physical sensation. I don't get it. Help.<BR>Thanks.

No, I didn't understand it either Prisanh. Azlan's quite a techie (as well as being an arts buff, he added hastily), so perhaps he can tell us.

Hey, I only report it! Beats me how this thing works! Stuart, why don't you try it out and tell us?

is this an arcade game. it must be. how does one play it. has anyone tried it. it looks like it the game has already been played in japan.

Here's another game:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>anime character with moves slicker than John Travolta--and his hair gel--during his feverish disco days. <BR> As cherubic as your rival appears, it will taunt you, challenge you, boo you and cheer you on. <BR> We're talking, of course, about Dance Dance Revolution, the popular dance simulation video game. <BR> GameWorks introduced the game last year in all 13 of its stores, including at the Irvine Spectrum, the Block of Orange and Ontario Mills Mall. DDR and similar games are also gobbling up tokens at other venues. <BR> The interactive video game takes gaming to new levels, vendors say. Various versions have evolved to match the skills of its most advanced players.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><B><A HREF="http://www.calendarlive.com/oc/20000913/t000086497.html" TARGET=_blank>The full LA Times article</A></B>

Here's the Dance Dance Revolution gateway website:<BR> <A HREF="http://www.konami.co.jp/am/ddr/" TARGET=_blank>http://www.konami.co.jp/am/ddr/</A>

Hey, hey, hey - looks like someone wrote another article about dance simulation games! <P>A sample: <BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Although they're fundamentally simple, what makes beat games so irresistible is the way they tap into instincts for rhythm and the desire to interact with music. They also break down the traditionally static nature of video games by introducing a performance element.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Hm! Eeenterestink. Check it out at <A HREF="http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/01/23/ddr/index.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/01/23/ddr/index.html</A>

I can't wait until "they" start cloning the video game players...........to play the video games and leave the rest of us in peace.<P><BR>(Azlan - when I click on that page - it says it cannot be displayed....probably just me, I know)

now, i have no idea if this is actually how this one works because it sounds kind of high-tech and scary. (if i want to feel The Real Sensations Of Doing A Double Pirouette, gosh darn it, i'll keep taking class until i get them. but i *have* played other "dance" games and they tend to work something to the effect of hitting buttons to make your character do different moves and you get scored based on how close you get the timing right, or how fast you get the combinations. <P>i've had more fun, especially since the scoring tends to get a little arbitrary. (at least, in my not-so-skilled opinion.)<P>although, when push comes to shove, i'd much rather have kids lining up for hours for a Dance Dance Revolution than to practice shooting things...<P>--ari

Sometimes the video game players ARE the rest of us. I like playing games. And one of the things that interests me about the games discussed in the article is they involve actually getting up and moving. And silly enough, people (at least people in Japan) even dance in the public arcades with these games. One thing the article points out is that arcades in Japan are less "seedy" than those in the U.S., and are good places to go on dates. <P>Re: "i *have* played other "dance" games and they tend to work something to the effect of hitting buttons to make your character do different moves" -- unless I'm reading this article wrong it seems like the player is the character. They relate the game to being like a way souped-up version of Simon where there were four buttons of different colors and they'd flash and beep in patters you were supposed to follow by pressing the buttons in the same order as they flashed and beeped. <P>Um. I think I'm interested in this thread because I'm kinda geeky and because I like a) reading about how cultures may vary and b) I like the idea of dancing being a fun and goofy part of people's everyday lives.<P>I'll close this charmingly long post with this quote from the article I posted a link to:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>"A whole bunch of people were standing around the machine, just looking at it -- but nobody would actually take the initiative to pop in 200 yen and give it a try," says Colin Williamson, a video game journalist currently living in Tokyo. "I cut to the front of the pack, slammed in my cash and blasted through the game in a near-psychotic frenzy of maraca-shaking glee. By the end of the three-song set, there were around 50 people crowded around the machine applauding the strange gaijin. Some of 'em even took pictures."<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>And ari, I totally agree with your push comes to shove comment.

If this is the video game I think it is, we have them at arcades here in San Diego. Priscilla is right about how it is played. At the arcades there is always a long line to play and a large crowd watching. It can be quite an aerobic workout. There are degrees of difficulty but alas no pirouettes!

This is an article in the Daily Radar about a new simulation game from Konami:<P>"Konami is once again trying to get gamers off their asses.<P>Konami Japan just announced Marshall Beats, a new PlayStation music fitness game. Players wear remote-type controllers on their hands and feet, and move their body according to the music videos on screen. The moves, involving both fitness and martial arts moves, are designed by gyms, so theoretically, players could get a real workout if they perform the moves correctly."<P> <A HREF="http://www.dailyradar.com/news/game_news_7543.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.dailyradar.com/news/game_news_7543.html</A>

Teehee! My friend and I have acctually played that game in this arcade in the mall!! The basics of it is, you stand on a large pad thing, then you pick music, then a screen comes on showing your "character" the music starts, and the instuctions (i.e. which part of the pad to step on) show up on the screen in the rythem of the music. If you do it right, your character does the dance. If you don't, it flails around like an idiot.<P>Being a dancer, has NOTHING to do with how good you are at this game! I was pretty bad, but my friend was worse, and she's been danceing for 8 years!