Has the DDR Era ended?

[fopldr]

As the years pass it seems as if the era of DDR is coming to an end. DDR used to be a very hot topic drawing lots of attention and making its way into peoples hearts and households. Lines were formed at DDR machines and kids would blow all their allowence just to show some skills. Now I can't help be be disapointed everytime I walk by an empty machine or see them slowly decaying and not drawing enough attention to be considered to fix. Guitar Hero and Rock Band seem to have taken the lead roll and pushed DDR into its shadow leaving no signs of remorse. Not to bash GH or RB but I can't help but feel bad to see this take the spot of DDR.

So the question is,

Is the DDR era eding?

[Marq(uistadorous)]

no
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[tekkie]

We're still here.
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[Xanthros]

I still see newbs at my arcade all the time, and not just people who play once then stop.

Konami is still making the game, aren't they?

[hellsonlyrose]

I think it's not as big as it used to be, but as long as we keep introducing new people to the game, it will stay alive. Viva la DDR!
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~Dance with me, Koibito~

[NIQ9]

I remember seeing the same topic when I started posting here.

[Liquid Zero]

[Jimmybuffett]

Me and my buddy still hang out at the Narrows arcade where DDR and Bemani games were once hugely popular. There are faithful players that go to Narrows just to play some DDR/ITG. When me and my buddy go we go for Pool, Marvel vs Capcom, and Guitar Freaks.
So to answer your question, no, it's not dead. But it will never be what it was again.

[Soul of Ignorance]

No, but its decline in popularity can be attributed to a number of factors.

The largest? Players got too good and Konami a) wasn't able to accommodate and adjust accordingly, and b) CHOSE not to accomodate and adjust accordingly, choosing instead try and capitalize on the home markets, which.. while is not a bad idea (it was, actually, the next logical step), the neglect of the arcade series for 4+ years does tend to take its toll on your existing base of players.. you can only hold so many EX tournaments before enough is enough..

(but then again, the same relationship can be made for professional sports players: they run up and down the same courts, putting the same sized ball in the same sized net, and do this for 20+ years of their lives.. of course, they have a significant amount more motivation, too, considering they get PAID..)

SuperNOVA didn't help matters. Not that it, in and of itself was a BAD mix, but it had significant flaws that it SHOULD not have had for being the premier release after a 4 year stagnation. The fact that the mastery timing /complexity curve for the game is also very low in comparison to its counterpart ITG doesn't help stimulate existing players to continue the series.

It also does not help that the physicality required to master the difficulty curve for SN --> is egregious, and DDR has yet to understand that you can't jump from TEN (Faxx) to TWELVE (FELMO) --> THIRTEEN (HDVO) ---> FOURTEEN (Pluto Relinquished Oni) without some measure of incremental progression. At least their 9s are getting more complex (Tsugaru If-IS-Or Mix Oni).

The SN2 dedicab, in addition to trying to correct a number of operational problems (overbearing BGs, annoying system sounds, skewed timing, poor pad longevity, etc), IMO, is trying to rectify this with the addition of marvelous timing (which is where DDR's niche truly is for a competitive player: command mastery -- can you get the AAA when you need to), but with no (not that I am aware of) available score tracking system available in the US that utilizes Marvelous timing in its tracking (as well as being as User friendly as, say... Recall or NNR), there's really no stimulus for competition in SN2... yet.

Stay tuned. I'm working to correct this problem.
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My In the Groove Scores
Ninth Player to AAA EXTREME
Second Player to AAA SuperNOVA

[AA Bob]

[Jimmybuffett]

[shurf]

Yeah, the community isn't what it used to be at all. I'm noticing even at my arcade people lost interest. Even I have since fighting games are what I really play. I mean think about it. There's no more ITG and every new DDR release is severely flawed one way or another. There isn't much reason to play anymore.

Competition has been pretty dead lately. That's what drives most people to play and get better.

[videoCWK]

It's not ending, it's just that with the new DDR games that aren't as good as the older ones, a new generation of DDR players are moving in, who are, coincidentally, not as good as the older generation. Maybe your area has moved on, but it's not happening everywhere.
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[Soul of Ignorance]

Like I said, playas. Stay tuned. My team and I are working on that.

Also noting, there are still some areas of the county that complete very regularly (even forming leagues).
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My In the Groove Scores
Ninth Player to AAA EXTREME
Second Player to AAA SuperNOVA

[__]

[Soul of Ignorance]

I figured it was an semi-accurate representation that is, consequently, pretty universal amongst all of us. I mean... it could have been labeled 10, 10*, 10+, 10++, etc, but the point I was really trying to stress was that there's nothing intermediary, no "in between" to prep a DDR player (playing SORELY DDR, mind you) for that kind of difficulty.

And I'll PM you by the end of the day. I would really appreciate both your help and your input.
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My In the Groove Scores
Ninth Player to AAA EXTREME
Second Player to AAA SuperNOVA

[Flameboat]

The DDR era(nostalmix) has ended.
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"its never a mistake with flamebait"

[GotACoolName]

It ended a long time ago.
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Brawl FC: 4725-7610-1200

[Haoie]

Guitar Hero is the new DDR.

For a lack of better comparisions.
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Baby getting Higher, we're getting Higher
Open up your eyes, everyday is a surprise
You are the one, baby the only one
Tonight

[Flameboat]