DDR & Japan

Ruthless Baroness · Basic Member Joined: 11 Apr 2006 Location: Providence, RI

Do you think it's important that DDR is made in Japan? Do you think anything about DDR is especially "Japanese?" Have you learned more about Japan either from playing or because you like to play?

momomixer · Trick Member Joined: 25 Sep 2005

no
way to start off your first post man
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mattman412 · Trick Member Joined: 06 Feb 2002 Location: Tempe, AZ

Actually I agree with the topic creator...I started DDR with absolutely no knowledge of Japanese (actually my lacross coach suggested it as an alternative to always running). That was in 2000, and I have since then moved on to essentially all bemani and of course obtained a new respect for J-pop and various other genres.

Now is it important that it was made in Japan? No, but I honestly think they are the only culture on earth that would be able to come up with such a seemingly quirky idea.
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Agent J · Trick Member Joined: 29 Feb 2004 Location: Dimension X

Hmm, odd topic. o_o I don't think it's important that DDR was made in Japan. To me, that's like asking if it's important to me that my TV was made in Mexico, my shirt is made in Honduras, the processor in my computer was made in Malaysia, etc. I guess the idea of DDR itself is kind of Japanese, as Japanese game designers tend to be a little more willing to take chances with game ideas. I suppose it could be argued, though, that DDR was actually kind of a safe bet as it was kind of the next step (Argh, no pun intended) up from the already successful Beatmania. Anyway, did I learn more about Japan from playing or my interest in the series? Not really. When I first discovered DDR, I was a scary Japanophile who wanted to learn Japanese and everything about Japan and eventually live and work there. I still like certain Japanese things now, but that obsession is long gone. I'd still like to VISIT Japan one day, but actually live there... I think I'll take a pass.

Synaesthesia · Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 8:21 am Post subject:

If you like DDArgh because it's Japanese you're a weeaboo and should go kill yourself.
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[+Duracell-] · Trick Member Joined: 03 Sep 2004 Location: Maumee, Ohio

MrKarate · Trick Member Joined: 23 Jul 2004 Location: CA

ugh, does this fall under the category of japanophiles????
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AFAD · Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 2:27 pm Post subject:

i started on a 3rd mix korean in Mexico...hinted it was asian at least.
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jpoppyz · Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:26 pm Post subject:

its not important that its from Japan, but it sure is a good thing.

It's story time.

I got DDR Ultramix early 2004. Before DDR, i was your average 12-year-old gamer who wanted all the violent games but my parents wouldnt let me. Anyways, I got DDR one day and found a fond liking for the song CANDY. And DIVE. It sort of opened the world of J-pop to me. Then one day I got a PS2(early 2005) and got MAX 2 and, what else, found a fond liking for the song BREAKDOWN! then I played MAX1 and you guessed it, fell in love with the song True...! Thats when I really started liking J-pop and looked up various J-pop artists(such as Ayumi Hamasaki) online and really liked that. Basically, DDR created my obsession with J-pop. And J-pop got me interested in Japan and anime which got me interested into learning japanese which...yeah.

Basically everything i love now days DDR made me love(music games, j-pop, anime, ect), which a lot comes from the fact DDR is from Japan. Do I only like DDR because it's from Japan? No, I like it because it features good rhythm and challenges you physically, 2 things you don't see much in video games. But really, it got me hooked on this whole "i heart japan" phase i'm going through right now but finally starting to understand i went too far with it(i.e, making my online names "j-pop love" and hey, my DDR freak name!), but DDR is something that never really changes. Most gamers consider it a gaming "phase"(that DDR is dead and that they discovered it years ago) but i have no plans on stopping and always find the game never stops being fun. And its the first game that really sort of "stayed big" for the 2 years ive been playing it. It's still my most played game right now. Even the people at my local LAN center think im crazy for playing DDR there for over and hour even though ive got stepmania and a USB adapter at my house. If theres DDR in the area, I must play it. If i ever have the ability to play DDR, i must play it.

Well, got a little off subject there. The point is, DDR made me because its from japan but i would still love the game if it were, say, made in the US as long as it still featured good music.