What are your thoughts on expanding DDR gameplay via peripherals such as the Eye Toy and Wii Remotes?  Would you like to see more peripherals used in the future?

If used in the right way, yes.

If you can find ways to incorporate different peripherals into gameplay via minigames and seperate modes, I say 'why not?' But I don't think they should be used in regular gameplay mode. I could see a cool exercise mode being used with the wii-motes or with the eyetoy. Those would be interesting to me, but the way they're used now, I kinda go 'eh'.

Yes, but it has to be done very carefully.  The Wiimote integration in HP was an abysmal failure because the timing was very un-natural... registering on the upswing instead of on the "hit".  If the timing could be adjusted (like on ITG) it would have probably worked much better.  Also, having to turn off the extra peripherals everytime the game is started is a horrible endless repeat that makes turning the game on a chore.

The charts need to be made specifically for the peripherals because when using the wiimote, it didn't really feel like dancing, but rather awkward jabs with your arms.  Although when turning them off, they were replaced with normal foot moves that seemed to work well with the music.  This makes me believe the hand movements were just randomly placed in an already created chart meant for footwork, without even considering if it would be a good place for a wiimote move.

Definitely would like to see this better executed, but keep in mind it is not the core of DDR, and should easily and permanently be turned off. 

If you're asking about specific peripherals, I'd love to see a Konami branded "Arcade Kit" that includes either a (preferably) metal pad or Red Octane quality foam pad.  Add some blinking lights (ala rockband stage kit) and what not for some real arcade experience at home.

I've never thought that the EyeToy was a worthwhile peripheral to integrate with DDR, not in the slightest. I don't know anybody who has actually bought an EyeToy camera and hooked it up just so they could watch themselves play DDR or do the silly little minigames.

I can't comment on the Wii Remote integration since I haven't played Hottest Party, but if I did, I highly doubt I would use that feature. I'm more interested in the standard DDR gameplay.

Dance maniax addons, anyone?

No.  I don't want any peripherals in my DDR.  Don't make me buy more things to get the "full experience" since I already have a full experience.

Standard is ze best.

Peripherals don't appeal to me at all. I'm just here for the core DDR.

I really can't think of any perhiperals that would benefit DDR in the slightest.  DDR is awesome the way it is, the only perhiperal we need is a handlebar... and maybe a Konami official ASC home pad to go with it...

Perephials are usually just a gimmick.

Some people like them, other's don't.

The options for them can always be included, as long as there is an option to turn off said peripehral (such as the Wiimote in Hottest Party)

I still think the DDR brand has so much to offer without peripherals needed. There is so many things I would do with DDR if I was working at Konami.

Like a DDR MMO : ) 

In a CS GAME is ok... but no ina  AC Machine, because is too much, if I wanna play with perephials ... i play Wii or ParaParaParadise,  left the perephials away from the DDR Arcade please.

Like someone else said - if you use them with some sort of mini game, that's fine.  But please keep stuff like that out of the standard gameplay.

Agreed.  If you want to do additional modes that let you use peripherals, that's fine, but I want the core gameplay to be my feet on the dance pad.

I don't know if any of you have been reading reviews of recent console releases of DDR, but one troubling criticism has started to become commonplace in those reviews:  that DDR hasn't been 'innovative' enough or hasn't done enough to 'change it's formula' over the last ten years.  Of course the reviewer is usually some noob who also has complaints like 'the jump from beginner to basic is too steep'.  Which might be a valid criticism. . .until you play the game for longer than three days.  Personally, I think saying DDR has become stagnant is about as rediculous as saying 'The NFL should change the rules of American football.  It's been four downs, ten yards for what. . .a hundred years now?'  

I am guessing, however, that it is in response to those criticisms that Konami has posted this question to which I reply:

I Don't Want changes in the underlying mechanic.  I mainly want a new songlist and some well designed stepcharts.  Any of those extra game modes and such are just icing on the cake if they are good, and something I ignore if they aren't good.  If there's some new game mode that uses some other peripheral that has you waving your arms around or whatever, fine.  Do what you need to do to appease the review-writers if you must, so long as you keep that kind of nonsense away from normal game mode.

I would even go one step further and say it might be cool if such integration of dance pad and other controller were well thought out and used to spawn an entirely different title.  Personally, I think a boxing title that used the dance mat and the wiimote and nunchuck could be quite fun.  Maybe a collection of mini-games.  Whatever, just leave our DDR alone!!!

I agree completely, 100%, with the first paragraph in the previous post.

 Football, btw, only changed its scoring output to appease more fans. Playbooks and training regimens were designed specifically to produce higher scoring games. Applying this to DDR and you get a game that doesn't need Eye-Toys and Wii-Remote integration: it needs a larger music selection, better designed charts (the new 10 CHALLENGE aren't cutting it -- as in they aren't designed well --- as in are these charts even properly tested before they are released?, and the new 7s-8s are quite questionable) and an online system that promotes more competition. 

Reviewers say the Guitar Hero series hasn't changed anything in its new games and so the games get a worse review when in reality they are actually better than its predecessors.

If it ain't broken, don't try to fix it. You can't do much more with what you have since it's a very designated game.

EDIT: I mean hell you can pull a (sort of) ParaParaParadise and put a "HOW TO REALLY DANCE" section with video instructor and teach people how to do actually dance with their pad as a base.

Or like in the Arcade put a camera that is mounted or installed on the top/inside the machine to have the background of your song be YOU PLAYING DDR LOL. That would be interesting for people wanting to take footage. 

I also agree 100% with the 1st paragraph of reenyreenyreeny's post.  I could get off topic and go on a long rant about how I feel about most of these "professional" reviewers, especially when it comes to their reviews of arcade games, but I won't.

I think Konami has done the important improvements with DDR over the years, such as improving the graphics, cleaning up the interface, adding high-speed and other modifiers, etc.   Yeah, so the basic gameplay hasn't changed too much, but that is perfectly alright, because the core gameplay of DDR (and IIDX / gfdm / pop'n) all fall under the "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" category.  ~10 years later (or however long it's been since you've started playing) all those games are still a lot of fun to play.  When a new DDR mix is announced, I've never once wondered what sort of amazing new innovations will happen.  I'm more excited about hearing the new music in a new bemani game more than most other things combined.

I'd like to see the IIDX controller used for co-op gameplay. In the meantime, motion controls like the Wiimote are a move in the right direction. They're optional, but they're additional gameplay elements.

Actually what if you guys sold a bundle for like 100ish bucks that had BeatmaniaUS2 (this time the only songs that are in beatmaniaUS2 would be the ones that are in the DDR it's attached with) and DDR (the newest one).

That would be very interesting and i'd like to see how that would turn out. Plus you get your beatmania seen by everyone who buys DDR. It's a very different marketing scheme and beatmania in the US will start to be an side thing with DDR.

EDIT: This sort of fits in the peripheral topic.

I never was too happy with the extra peripherals in the game

The Wii Remote for example as mention earlier is complete garbage and the Eyetoy is waste of time.

If anything, keep them the way they are or remove them complete. Don't waste time and money working on inproving these items, instead focus on the gameplay and stepcharts instead.

Or like in the Arcade put a camera that is mounted or installed on the top/inside the machine to have the background of your song be YOU PLAYING DDR LOL. That would be interesting for people wanting to take footage.

Hehe, I have to admit, that sounds kinda fun/funny.  I can just picture all the goofballs coming up behind you and making faces to distract you.

I would totally go for a club mix style IIDX integrated DDR, though I don't think it should replace normal DDR.

Camera integration might be cool for an automated system for recording yourself playing.  You could upload your videos online with a streamlined process via the game itself.  Press a "Submit Video" button after your song and it could upload your score and your video to a website for everyone to see.  That isn't really expanding DDR gameplay, but it might be a fun feature that uses a camera peripheral.

Overall though I would have to say that core DDR game is fun in itself and I would prefer not to see drastic changes that usually come with peripherals.

In Console Games, the EyeToy* or Wii-mote or Nunchuck could be nice (It's too hard play "ToyoEvolved" in Hottest Party -DDR Hottest Party JP- )
Self-watching using the EyeToy* for me is specifically for make a better dance performance.
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In Arcade, I prefer the traditional 4-panels NO-ADDS mode.
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PD: I hope to see "Will / NAOKI" and some cool CS games in the next Arcade Game.

core DDR.

if you wish to continue with HP and such at least make it the way that hands confirm at the same time as foot panels or something....(or at least the difference is not so big)

a new periferal is something that can ruin the game, no drastic changes. if you want something innovative come up with different styled charts but add them to the ones you already have. 

IIDX has differently styled charts so why not DDR?

I can just picture all the goofballs coming up behind you and making faces to distract you.

Or if it were at Crossgates, wiggers coming up, ape stomping, shouting obscenities, and so on.

I have to say that I really like the hand markers in Hottest Party. I just got HP2 for Christmas and I love it. I haven't played HP1 so this is new to me but I really like it. It makes the game fresh instead of playing the same old thing. I'm not to crazy about eyetoy support. I never really used it. So if you guys can think of new ways to use peripherals in future DDR games, go for it! Just make sure there are ways to turn them off. Some songs are really hard to play with the markers so it's nice to be able to turn them off. 

The eyetoy is a great idea, but having to punch the air several times to get it to register is a pain in the neck and defeats the purpose. Also, I'd rather watch the video than myself, but I would like to incorporate arm movements into it as well. The alignment - where I have to have my hand to get it to register - is off and in an awkward position.

 Have an option to turn off watching myself. 

Incorporate some kind of movement/hold like for the arms, like holds and jumps.