I’m very pleased to announce that the first presentation of the new beta of iDANCE Version 2 was very successful at the Pulse fitness booth in 2009 LIW trade show in Birmingham, U.K. We were told that Pulse had a record high interest that they’ve EVER had at previous shows. iDANCE was one of four “Multiplayer dance systems” displayed at the show this year.
iDANCE features a completely new non Stepmania based engine that has been designed by our Positive Gaming team. LIW 2009 was the first time that many of the new version 2 concepts were shown to the public!
Several players had great things to say about improvements that were made from the original version that premiered a year ago at LIW 2008. iDANCE 2 will continue to make improvements off the original success of the “Multiplayer” concept that originally was conceptualized by Ole Petter Høie and the Positive Gaming crew years ago. The idea has continued to expand and seems to be the future (in my mind) for dance game products today.
As many players are aware, Chris Foy and myself have joined the Positive Gaming team to help produce future versions of iDANCE and promote the future of EXERGAMING. We’ve both spent more time in Europe than we ever thought possible when we signed on to the project. (our design work is based out of Europe) Chris and I look forward to helping promote iDANCE with all of our global distributors in the coming months. Please continue to check back for news/updates about our travels with iDANCE.
What can players expect in the future? I can honestly say that I’ve never been so excited about the potential of a new dance game product in the past years. Chris and I have continued to see a new audience build from our presentations at each event… We are both incredibly excited about the market potential and future that lies ahead for iDANCE. I believe this is the beginning of the future of dance games as we know them today. Never before was it possible to actually play with up to 32 people in such a reliable and user friendly environment. We are changing the future of dance game products with iDANCE!
I would like to encourage all players that are curious and/or have questions about iDANCE to comment on this posting. I will do my best to answer your questions (if possible) and give some insight. Please also be sure to check out some of the pictures and videos that I’ve collected from various sources below!
~Kyle
a few question ha? Oki, Ill start (some questions are actually suggestions ;)):
– 32 is maximum number of players at both iDANCE verions?
– are there still 3 result screens for each player? (or more, .. new ones)
– will there by some ANOTHER version/music? (like Take me back Remix2)
– what about double play? (or battle)
– target arrows .. ehm, is it possible to turn them back on?
– noteskins? … more, less, just one?
– announcer? … well, but why not
– some “player #24 hac 500 COMBO” in-game messages?
– in no one hit arrow, can arrow just go off screen and not diapeare in targets area?
– what about one BIG groove graph? (like at IIDX with life, or by aver.score)
– is (will) there be some GLOBAL statistiocs? Like total play time, #of hitter arrows, #songs, .. average ft., .. all per session or entire time
– some song stats? (like “this song was play *** times, last time ** song ago, total fav. position ***). Lets inform players when other is chosing diff.
– what about “prev. score table” (it was suggestion for iDANCE 1, .. if anybody skip result screens .. //aka undo)
– your songs are great (really), but what about Banya or some DDR style 😉
– is there some multi-monitor support? like 2 monitors, 4 diff.? (2 on each)
– Reemote is still inside, right?
– is there any technical page with pads battery status?
– “old” styles song from you, have they new steps or same from iDANCE 1
– some idea about dates for AC and home version?
– what about 5footer version (technicaly its possible .. as Ole said)
Btw, thanks for (another) great music game ^_^
Songlist looks awesome! I really look forward arcade and home versions.
Hi Kyle, I want to ask you about iDance game ?
Whether iDance will be publication to all country, or several country ?
If yes, can you tell me ? are there will be in home version, download version or arcade version ?
I’m very interesting about that game. I can’t wait to play that game.
Word has it that you guys are holding off on the Arcade Version and Home Version. Is this the case? If you can as well, can you share any info on these versions Kyle?
As excited as I am about the coming of IDance 2, the lack of a Arcade/Home Version does worry me abit. I am worry this project may not be a “widespread” as it should be.
I think that IDance 2 can be even more successful with a Arcade Port since the community itself is based of arcade games such as ITG and DDR. And with a Home Version, news on the this game would be more widespread since it allows players to play the game in their own homes.
Off topic for a second but I understand that you still support Andamiro still, is there any news on the rumored new mix coming out and as well what is happening over at Fun In Motion? and Pump Pro? Even now there is some belief from some players that another Pump Pro is coming but slowly while others believe the Pro games are finished.
Is there any news on the current fate of the Pro Games, I understand this may be asked before but the community has yet to see the final word/news on this and there is those who have been waiting on what’s been happening with Pro.
Yes. An arcade version could really bring back the dancing game community! Please keep this in mind. I know you guys are making a lot off the multiplayer, but keep the community of hardcore players in mind, also.
Hi Kyle, just wanted to say the game looks great! Keep up the good work buddy!
But yeah, an arcade release would REALLY revitalize the dance game community. Good luck with the project, but from the way it looks already I don’t even think you need it! 🙂
Hey Xsoft – Thanks for the comment. Let me try to answer your questions to the best of my ability!
– 32 is maximum number of players at both iDANCE versions?
KW: 32 players is our current maximum with a single iDANCE system. Why? Because we feel the best multiplayer experience is with this peak number. Player information becomes very challenging to comprehend with more than 32 players…
BUT, keep in mind that it is possible that you might see some innovations in the future, so I wouldn’t say that you might NEVER see iDANCE with more than 32 players in some fashion.
– are there still 3 result screens for each player? (or more, .. new ones)
KW: There is 1 (redesigned) result screen that all the players share. The players can individually change their statistics view with the pad (L/R).
– will there by some ANOTHER version/music? (like Take me back Remix2)
KW: We are constantly licensing new tracks for the game. In addition to licenses you will continue to see new productions by me. This means that you will see new releases by Banzai, Smiley, and the formal music project names that people are familiar with. This means completely NEW songs and some of peoples old favorites! 🙂 Keep in mind that iDANCE is some peoples first experience with these “cross over” songs and they have not played any of the other dance game titles you might be aware of as a player.
– what about double play? (or battle)
KW: With the current “multiplayer” environment, we only support single pad play. This means 1 player per pad. As we explore future ports of iDANCE, you can expect to see other game modes become available.
– target arrows .. ehm, is it possible to turn them back on?
KW: This is a new feature of iDANCE v2. We feel that this concept of showing step sequences is the future to our product. No, iDANCE v2 does not rely on stationary “target arrows”
– noteskins? … more, less, just one?
KW: There are several note skins to choose from. Our LIW beta version had up to 4 choices…
– announcer? … well, but why not
KW: We’ve found that for the MP environment, an announcer has not been a request. Each player shares the screen so we wouldn’t want 32 players fighting for the announcers’ attention! 🙂
– some “player #24 hac 500 COMBO” in-game messages?
KW: Each players feedback is located in their respectable player box. Players get detailed feedback about their accuracy and current combo/etc here.
– in no one hit arrow, can arrow just go off screen and not diapeare in targets area?
KW: I don’t understand this question… I’m sorry 🙁
– what about one BIG groove graph? (like at IIDX with life, or by aver.score)
KW: This is a very interesting idea. I will deliver your request of a visual life graph to our team. Thank you for the suggestion!
– is (will) there be some GLOBAL statistics? Like total play time, #of hitter arrows, #songs, .. average ft., .. all per session or entire time
– some song stats? (like “this song was play *** times, last time ** song ago, total fav. position ***). Lets inform players when other is choosing diff.
KW: We have plans for player tracking features to be released in iDANCE version 2. The player tracking will keep track of detailed specifics for each of the players and will include specific statistics
– what about “prev. score table” (it was suggestion for iDANCE 1, .. if anybody skip result screens .. //aka undo)
KW: Players should see previous scores from player tracking specifics.
– your songs are great (really), but what about Banya or some DDR style 😉
KW: Thank you for the compliment! 🙂 You will see licensed songs as well as productions specifically designed for the audience demand of iDANCE. (you won’t see music from other titles that is illegally being used or informally licensed)
– is there some multi-monitor support? like 2 monitors, 4 diff.? (2 on each)
KW: We’ve discussed similar ideas with our team. You might see features like this in the future but due to our current buyer demand, it has not been requested. INFACT, it’s actually been a negative point that people don’t like about other products.
– Remote is still inside, right?
KW: We use a remote for an instructor or group leader to drive the system. Our remote is completely wireless and very easy to use. We are also continually looking at ways to improve the design as we improve the system.
– is there any technical page with pads battery status?
KW: Our pads have incredible life! PG has yet to have a returned pad (to my knowledge) and our pads are designed with energy efficiency in mind. They typically last up to 80 hours of raw dance play. This means LONGER if left idle…
Many of the pads can last up to months without needing a recharge because of the simple design without energy wasting elements like LCD screens etc…
– “old” styles song from you, have they new steps or same from iDANCE 1
KW: All previous known songs or “crossover” songs contain new step sequences for iDANCE. All steps are new!
– some idea about dates for AC and home version?
KW: I know that players are very eager for these other game ports and do know that PG does consider them and has plans to do them. BUT, currently our demand lies in the multilayer market and this is our first priority at the current time. As you can expect, the arcade market is very tough right now…. However, this means that other markets are BOOMING with potential!
– what about 5footer version (technical its possible .. as Ole said)
KW: You are very correct. PG has mentioned other step types and we are considering to explore those in the near future. Due to the popularity and understanding of the “4 panel” layout, we’ve chosen to pursue this at this time.
Hope this answers some of your questions. Thank you for your interest in iDANCE!
Hello Rich! – Good to see you following up on the news of iDANCE. Thank you for being a faithful viewer of my site and following up your interest on the behalf of Canadians! 🙂
I will now try to answer your questions:
-Word has it that you guys are holding off on the Arcade Version and Home Version. Is this the case? If you can as well, can you share any info on these versions Kyle?
KW: I don’t have any info about them currently. I notice that these versions seem to be the buzz currently, but we don’t have any additional news other than what has been made available.
THE REASON for this is simply because of the lack of market demand right now. We respect all of the players out there (and we still try to help run tournaments for this), but I’m sure you are aware of the current slow times of the arcade industry currently. What does this mean? In general, it would be a very bad time to introduce a new arcade product to the market (from a business prospective).
-As excited as I am about the coming of IDance 2, the lack of a Arcade/Home Version does worry me abit. I am worry this project may not be a “widespread” as it should be.
I think that IDance 2 can be even more successful with a Arcade Port since the community itself is based of arcade games such as ITG and DDR. And with a Home Version, news on the this game would be more widespread since it allows players to play the game in their own homes.
KW: I (and everyone else on core PG team) understand the player concerns about this aspect. It isn’t because we don’t “want” to produce an arcade product… It’s mainly just because of the current market and potential we have in other areas.
What players are not seeing is that iDANCE is building a new audience. It is becoming widespread through these other avenues and you could very well see it expand faster then any current arcade product could right now… Imagine if your local (chain gym) or fitness center picked up an iDANCE system. Imagine if others did this not in a specific region, but GLOBALLY. This product is creating a new market for itself and just because we don’t see it in the arcade doesn’t mean that you won’t see it spread to communities. It is very valid product that many people are looking for RIGHT now in these current economic times.
In general, this potential HIGHLY excites me about the iDANCE product. It’s building the foundation for a new audience that is yet to be seen… It’s going to create a strong community and Foy, Positive Gaming, and myself are behind it 100%. I’ve already seen the potential audience build from the events that we’ve attended and you (as players) will continue to see more also. The future of dance games is changing and I believe that this product that is going to be the future outlet for introducing new players to the dance game concept.
Off topic for a second but I understand that you still support Andamiro still, is there any news on the rumored new mix coming out and as well what is happening over at Fun In Motion? and Pump Pro? Even now there is some belief from some players that another Pump Pro is coming but slowly while others believe the Pro games are finished.
Is there any news on the current fate of the Pro Games, I understand this may be asked before but the community has yet to see the final word/news on this and there is those who have been waiting on what’s been happening with Pro.
KW: You’ve hijacked the iDANCE thread with Pro news?! 🙂 As some people understand, Foy and myself are now external to the Fun In Motion/Pro project. We continue to support Pro through tournaments and events, but we are no longer part of the core team. We made this decision based on several factors, but mainly because we feel that this is the start of the future…
As an outsider to the core Pro team now, I can tell you that there was a Pro2 Multiplayer product at the LIW show. in addition to this, I can confirm that several members of the old team are working towards a second “version” of Pump Pro and that you might see news about it soon? I would continue to check the Pump Pro site because this is where news will be announced. Aside from these comments, I do not have any additional information at this time.
Thanks for the comment
Thank you for the answers Kyle on both IDance and Pro (Don’t mind the Pro Question btw, I thought I should asked while I was asking the IDance ones) I’ll be sure to inform RGC on the news =D
Hey Nick –
Thanks for the comments. I can understand and identify with you… Here are my comments:
Yes. An arcade version could really bring back the dancing game community! Please keep this in mind. I know you guys are making a lot off the multiplayer, but keep the community of hardcore players in mind, also.
KW: I agree with you that the current community needs something new. In addition to this, I think that our concept of “dance machines” needs to be re-established. A new community is also needed to be built…
I can promise you that Foy, PG, and myself are committed to making this product acceptable to the standards out there. This means that we are working as hard as we can to make it so that players with arcade backgrounds will also enjoy this product with new our new audience. (this means improving the technology and making it established to a point that it’s acceptable to formal dance game players)
In addition to all of this, I can assure you that we have not forgotten about an “arcade experience” port. (home port as well) As soon as it makes sense for us to look towards this, we will be certain to take action.
It has NOT been done yet due to several logistics and issues that currently don’t make it a top priority for the PG team.
Thanks for the comment!
Hi,
its me again. I love to play a reporter role, so another question combo 😉
(oh, thanks for prev. answers)
(correction)
– if no one hit arrow, can arrow just go off screen and not diapeare in targets area?
(its something like “co-op mode at DDR HotterstParty. 4 people play and the best result for hitting arrow is counted. Great+Boo+Miss+Miss=Great. Question was, if all player (eg. on hard difficulty) miss the arrow, can arrow just go off screen and not disapear in target area? (like if you miss arrow at itg or ddr).
– people loves unlock codes (or someone does). So if you (@programes) get boared, can be implemented something like “if player press 16arrow sequence at select-music-screen, then eg. xuxa apears on few seconds on his small-pad-icon +sound effect)
– double is possible. eg. thrue Medium=steps for left pad, Hard=right pad. Also you can make “quad double” (=2×2 pads, each with own steps) or 2xdouble (pad at 1×4 matrix). For freestyle and presentation it can be made (just add own steps). (old) example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNHuKAoAJCw
– mines are there, fine, great. Do you thinging about something like “shock arrow” from DDR X (simply its 4 mines at row .. just it looks differently).
– to second monitor – there can be also just results (actual procent, song info and state (time/position,%), players with results (realtime updated), comparation, .. some graphs maybe)
– Reemote (its based on Wii/bluetooth technology right), there can be also 2 reemotes. Or one is enought.
– PS: is there any “auto select next song” option? (eg. is operator with reemote is ehm ..out) .. to let iDANCE chose next song (after 45s) randomly.
– btw, all those technical stuffs will be very interesting, like to see all menu at game (from setting, to test, modes, .. ) and not just gameplay and songlist
– backgrounds – its prerendered video or realtime render? (is it still cleat at high resolutions?)
– ok, you have wiimote and pad, .. but you won’t implement some Hottest Party “hands-arrows” right? (4 arrows for legs, and L,R for hands)
– song-progrsss-bar (top middle thing), its same like at prev. version? Those “different color” on “BMP changfes” was great.
– there can (could) be some minigames like “hit all sensors at all 32 pads at smallest time as possible” (but maybe it will be called “slip and kill yourselfs on pads”) – or “blind man is walking thrue 4×32 mine filed”. You have a LOT of pads, its great potential to do .. anything
What about a console version? Your reasoning for an arcade version is valid, but with a home/console version, the players at home who don’t have a gym nearby that buys the multiplayer version of iDance could have something new to play and keep up with. I think a PC/Wii/360 version would be amazing. Then we could all play this new material without having to go to an arcade. While you might think of this as a detering factor for multiplayer iDance, I think this would actually boost sales of the iDance product overall.
Online phentermine cod….
Phentermine online. Online phentermine cod. Phentermine online purchase. Cheap phentermine online. Cheapest phentermine online. Cheap phentermine online 37 5. Phentermine buy cheap online….