What A Game? A DDR Documentary

Griffey, Julia

"Dance, Dance, Revolution," (DDR), an arcade game made by the Japanese company Kaomi, is the one of the most successful of the physical game genre. While the American version of DDR has only been in existence since 2001, it has quickly become incredibly popular. The premise of the game is quite simple. The player first chooses the music she wants to "dance" to. Then, she carefully watches the screen, placing her feet in the appropriate spots on the platform at the right moment according to the arrows appearing on the screen. For each level she reaches, the music and the arrows move faster, and her feet must follow accordingly.

In making this movie, I learned a lot about my subject matter. DDR is a unique game, different from myriad of virtual reality games. What sets it apart is that it doesn't try to mimic a real physical experience. Instead, it is its own experience, one that is pretty simple in concept; move your feet according to the directions on the screen. Perhaps this is where DDR gets its strength. DDR has become a phenomenon, breaking many of the stereotypes associated with video gaming. It provides a physical challenge to the player, as well as a social outlet.

After completing this project, I became in learning how to make physical interactive experiences and seeing if I can capture some of the essence of this game. Ideally I would like to make an experience that is better than the one DDR provides.

Inspirational links