DDR X - Gen Discussion & Info - Just Announced

The Mana Knight

CAGiversary!
Feedback
41 (100%)
The game was just announced on PS2
Konami is celebrating the tenth anniversary of its popular dancing series with Dance Dance Revolution X for PS2. Although it may not have the sexy graphics of the Xbox 360 DDR game or the motion-sensing controls of the Wii DDR game, DDRX hopes to groove its way into consumers' lounge rooms thanks to a number of new features.

DDRX incorporates a broad range of classic tracks from previous DDR games, as well as introducing a number of new tracks. We're told to expect 70 tracks in the final game. One of the new features is the introduction of Shock Arrows (nothing to do with electrified bows being used as weapons – unfortunately). The Shock Arrows appear on-screen as lightning icons and must be avoided unless you want to lower your score.

We couldn't agree more. "Marvelous."

DDRX has also tweaked the traditional difficulty system. Rather than the old 10-point scheme you can select between 13 different levels of difficulty. Looks like they were struggling for bullet points to add to the game with this idea.

As previously announced, DDRX will support a brand new LAN mode where eight players can compete against each other over four PS2 consoles. Thankfully the trusty dance mats from previous PS2 DDR games are completely compatible with Dance Dance Revolution X. It may be an aging franchise on an aging console but at least Konami has introduced some new features and a truckload of tracks into this anniversary edition.
http://ps2.ign.com/articles/890/890576p1.html

dance-dance-revolution-x-tba-20080515101517365_640w.jpg


dance-dance-revolution-x-tba-20080515101519380_640w.jpg


Being a big DDR fan, I will buy this. :D It will come out in September, like usual.

It's somewhat based off of the new DDR arcade game DDR X.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have the JP version (and the US version) of Supernova 2, so I'm less excited about DDR X. Last I'd heard, DDR X was largely to be a US catch-up release, and thus mostly consisting of tracks from SN2 JP. Hopefully there's enough unique stuff in there to make it worthwhile, but I wish they'd let bygones be bygones and use X as a new starting point, and have the US and Japanese releases be identical from now on (and, being a new starting point, not contain any previously released tracks, or least only a very few.) Oh well.
 
[quote name='crunchewy']I have the JP version (and the US version) of Supernova 2, so I'm less excited about DDR X. Last I'd heard, DDR X was largely to be a US catch-up release, and thus mostly consisting of tracks from SN2 JP. Hopefully there's enough unique stuff in there to make it worthwhile, but I wish they'd let bygones be bygones and use X as a new starting point, and have the US and Japanese releases be identical from now on (and, being a new starting point, not contain any previously released tracks, or least only a very few.) Oh well.[/QUOTE]They won't, since Konami wants to cash in as much as possible by limiting consoles to 70 tracks, so they can release a new DDR every year.
 
I just want them to move onto PS3 already. I wouldn't mind buying new mats if it meant I got online and DLC instead of buying a full disc with only a half dozen songs I play.
 
[quote name='Jest']I just want them to move onto PS3 already. I wouldn't mind buying new mats if it meant I got online and DLC instead of buying a full disc with only a half dozen songs I play.[/QUOTE]
Well, here's what I wish Konami did. I understand they want to make a DDR for each console company, but what they should have at least done is make DDR X multi-platform with PS2. What they could do with the PS3 version is just make it go up to 1080p (so it looks smoother), use PSN for the online, and maybe have a few songs from older DDRs on the disc which you pay to unlock (It's stupid, but Konami likes doing that).

What they could do about pricing is:
DDR X (PS3) standalone $40 (PS2 version is $30, next gen games are $10 more)
DDR X bundle (PS2) for $60 or $70 (make it a USB pad for PS3)

or

DDR X (PS3) w/ converter (to convert PS2 pad to PS3 USB) for $50
DDR X (PS3) w/ PS2 dance pad + converter for $70.

It may not sell as well as the PS2 DDR games, but since the PS3 userbase is growing (I'm going to bet at least 20% of DDR fans have a PS3 by now, and oh course there will be a few new people buying it), it would be best to put it on PS2/PS3 in order to reach the entire PlayStation fanbase.

Someone at the PS3 Forums brought up an interesting point:
I will tell you exactly why Konami has not made a PS3 DDR: It isn't worth it.

Konami has already established a large niche market with PS2 DDR releases over the years. The PS3 has a significantly smaller userbase and it isn't one that lends itself so freely to dancing sims in comparison to still-popular PS2. Continuing PS2 DDR means they don't have to worry about stale sales from catering to a console less people own, they don't have to create a new line of DDR pads for the wireless PS3, and they also don't have to worry if there's enough of DDR buyers who made the leap to PS3. And perhaps the biggest reason is that a PS2 release still reaches out to some PS3 owners due to backwards compatibility (the USB-to-PS2 controller port works for DDR pads). The sum total of these reasons place PS2 as both the most cost-efficient choice and the stage with the most possible DDR buyers.

Aside from audience precision, another reason is that PS3 DDR would not change in any crucial way from PS2 DDR. Technical-wise, the DDR games have no real reason to go to PS3 to begin with. There is really no advantage to having HD 1080p DDR or higher-polygon dancers because the player is only going to be concerned about the arrows, gameplay-wise, and anything else is already performed well-enough by the PS2. The only crucial factors in DDR are that the arrows are displayed clearly, the audio quality is good, the background animations are decently mesmerizing, that the arrows run at a smooth framerate, and perhaps an online component. The arrows are simple graphic skins, so they need no graphical overhaul. The audio is already at a good quality. The background animations are also simplistic in that colorful animations/designs are capable through simple graphics rendering that even PS2 can do. The animations have also incorporated music videos for licensed songs lately, and PS2 is capable of even this and with efficient clarity. The current framerate of DDR is already incredibly smooth and effective for all difficulty levels and arrow-scroll speeds. And for online component, 3 PS2 DDR games have already done that.

DDR won't even benefit being on a Blu-Ray disc. The traditional 70-something total songlist doesn't even come close to occupying the majority of a DVD. In fact, the total data size of a DDR game is far less than the typical PS2 game (which may even be why most PS2 DDR games debut at $10 cheaper). The only reason Konami keeps to the same amount of total songs in a game is because, like someone else said, it meets the level of demand. Konami recycles the right amount of old songs and backs them up with the right amount of new songs in each DDR game so they don't have to produce/license any more new songs than they need to.

The only reasons DDR would have enough reason to go to PS3 is if there is enough demand or potential exploit for PSN online play. However, there isn't really any demand for it yet, and it doesn't help that DDR is a party game anyhow (encouraged by many to be played with others in the same room). I think if PSN evolves into a large-enough, robust community, we may see Konami bring DDR to PS3 in order to tap into that community (a tried-and-true party game would naturally be warmly welcomed by a large community), but right now it simply isn't worth it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
bread's done
Back
Top