Dance Dance Revolution breaks out in WV schools

More than 750 public schools to incorporate Konami's kinetic rhythm game into health and physical education curricula.

Despite the rash of game-related legislation being introduced around the country, it seems not every state has it in for digital entertainment. West Virginia, for example, has entered into a three-year agreement with Konami to bring the publisher's Dance Dance Revolution game out of the arcade and into the classroom.

Starting with the state's 103 middle and junior high schools over the coming months, all 765 of West Virginia's public schools will incorporate DDR into their physical education or health-related curricula within two years. Data collected from the DDR program will be used for a report on the health and scholastic benefits of incorporating the game into school programs.

The partnership came about after a recent "Games for Health" study conducted by the West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Agency and West Virginia University's Motor Development Center found the game effective in raising children's level of physical activity.

West Virginia should be an ideal place for such a program to be used as a proving ground. In making the announcement, Konami referred to the state's childhood obesity problem as reaching "epidemic proportions." According to the most recent figures from the Centers for Disease Control, West Virginia has the third-highest rate of obesity among its population, trailing only Mississippi and Alabama.

43 Comments

  • wvjohn2006

    Posted Dec 14, 2006 9:31 am PT

    I can't blieve that my state is being innovated in the way to teach kids to be fit. As a life-long resident of West Virginia, I am glad to see public officials do something that is actually useful. Props not only to West Virginia, but to Konami as well.

  • Yadiel2007

    Posted Oct 24, 2006 6:01 pm PT

    Noooooooooo....... Jack Thompson is from Cleveland! That's where I live! Now I hate Cleveland! I gotta get outta here! I wish they would put DDR everywhere in Cleveland and Video Game Cafes in every block to piss off Jack Thompson lol

  • i_love_my_ds

    Posted Jan 28, 2006 12:09 pm PT

    that would be so cool if it happened in California. DDR is one of my favorite series.

  • jnvwv

    Posted Jan 26, 2006 6:55 am PT

    I never thought my home state would make gaming news.... Though I haven't been in a classroom for over a decade.

  • jakeboudville

    Posted Jan 26, 2006 12:22 am PT

    my school should have this done right now

  • Orasion_Seiz

    Posted Jan 26, 2006 12:22 am PT

    man i wish i had DDR during my school days like a P.E or an activity. these schools are lucky...

  • Neoyamaneko

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 8:11 pm PT

    Konami has had DDR and Martial Beat machines in their sports clubs in Japan for years. Free Play for members.

  • ChipsDubbo

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 5:15 pm PT

    Very awesome. I've always been a fan of DDR and have been playing for a while now. Let's hope it spreads throughout Canada soon!

  • chibi-acer

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 3:45 pm PT

    I think this is a great idea. It will get more kids addicted to DDR, which is definitely a better workout than most of the couch games we play. I've lost 25 pounds since I started playing last August (I'm now 125 lbs at 5"3'). And DDR isn't too expensive compared to all the weight room equipment my school had.

  • ministerkataoka

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 3:40 pm PT

    This is quite pathetic. If you must play a video game to help you lose weight then you should just stuff yourself to death. Go do 4 laps around the track tubby!

    DDR is also a very easy game with all those boring 7 footers.

    Pump It Up is a better choice due to the game's intense difficulty.

  • XlpranksterlX

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 3:33 pm PT

    Well i would be up for that but at the same time its kind of overboard. But it seriously makes sense.Check it:

    10 gym workers (maintence & instructors)= 35 k a year thus =350 000 a year +benefits and insurance, not to mention bonuses.
    over 10 years thats more than 3.5 million bucks, on salary alone.Not factoring workers comp, or the fact that they want raises and wount do their job right 100% of the time.

    But if buy 3750 copies of DDR (5 per school) at $25 each thats 93 750. Leave 4 workers (over 10 years), that comes to 1.4 million. So it totals 1493750 roughly 1.5 million. thats less than the 10 workers assuming that the games would cost $25 and bring the game pad and that they would have the neccesary TV. But the Game will not screw it up and trip and cost the school half a million dollars from a bad lawsuit.

  • nemes1s3000

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 3:24 pm PT

    What better way to get bully'ed in school than dancing like a goof on DDR.

  • nytrospawn

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 3:21 pm PT

    Jack Tompson had an aneurysm after hearing the news.

  • AdamPA1006

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 3:09 pm PT

    It isn't just in WV, in PA in the Pennsbury school districts we've had DDR since the first day of school in gym.

  • sweettooth1234

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 3:06 pm PT

    this is cool. i would love to have a DDV club of some kind. instead of my idiot teacher ms.Bradley. And i would not have to lift very many stupid weights and run around a track

  • mrsaucy

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 2:53 pm PT

    you woulndt want DDR in schools, then everyone could see what huge nurds you are, and dont say your proud to be a nurd, it never got anyone laid!

  • markatwork

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 2:48 pm PT

    As a West Virginia resident, I am so happy to see this. I picked up my girlfriends son from 4th grade and was shocked at all of his Oversized classmates. I have never played DDR but I just hope they have Square Dancing. It is a state mandate in WV. Go EERs

  • THF2

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 2:36 pm PT

    This is a pretty neat idea, if you can get people who never played it to give up a shred of their dignity....which is sometiems difficult.

  • ReRush

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 2:23 pm PT

    I hate you guys. I would heart my school district if they did this.

  • Fetechini

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:55 pm PT

    Lucky for those students. But i really want to hear Jack Thompsons response to this, lol.

  • bioniccommando1

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:52 pm PT

    Raleigh County

  • 0diablo0

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:50 pm PT

    they are so lucky dont see that in canada DDR would be great at my school (sure would help some kids lose some big weight lol)

    the USA is a "bigger" country than canada thats for sure but it sure would be awesome\!!!!!!

  • Kravyn81

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:49 pm PT

    Well of course they're obese with all that homemade Southern fried cooking.

  • Ace_The_Ace

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:48 pm PT

    I live in WV and homeschool. I do DDR for P.E. Yeah!
    Too bad for you. lol.

  • Ortadragoon

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:45 pm PT

    That would be really neat. I actually live in one of the states mentioned. And, they're right. Mississippi has some of the most obese people I've ever seen. We need a program like this.

  • Darkhalo13

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:40 pm PT

    Eh it isn't the first, Janesville, WI has been using DDR in gym this past year....don't know if it was completely legal...>_> but still its good to see something come out of all this nonsense legislation acts trying to get through.

  • ArmoredAshes

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:39 pm PT

    well now good ol' jack thompson can shove it...OMG A VIDEO GAME IS DOING AMERICA SOME GOOD...we cant have this...lets insite rumors...stupid politicians...maybe this will shorten their video game crusade

  • scubastevewilco

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:38 pm PT

    Plus at our school we have gym one nine week due to rotations
    of art gym health and music
    what county are you guys in
    wv from?
    im from nicholas county

  • Rager363

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:36 pm PT

    That is so tight. Wish they had that in Texas back when I was in elementary. All we had was the tetherball....

    Oh, and Rockclmbr6, Texas requires P.E. too

  • scubastevewilco

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:33 pm PT

    I live in west virginia a this is the first time ive herad this!!!
    but atlas im going to high school so the youngins are to be enjoin

  • Rockclmbr6

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:32 pm PT

    NOOOO!!! Why couldn't they do this in Illinois? I mean we are the only state that require P.E. ... And plus there are tons of DDR fanatics at my school. Including me...hmm...now I want to go play DDR...

  • bioniccommando1

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:31 pm PT

    What's wrong with West Virginia exactly!?

  • bioniccommando1

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:31 pm PT

    Go us!! LOL!! Im from West by god Virginia!!

  • petrnorth18

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:31 pm PT

    theres a DDR club at my high school.

  • Theman3788

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:29 pm PT

    I wish I was in junior high and in west virginia...... strike that, no I dont. However, it would be awesome to play DDR everyday, required.

  • Mit_Man

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:26 pm PT

    Lol at stevo's comment.



    And you lucky bastids. I'm gonna watch how many J-pop lovers start popping up in West Virginia though, and watch how many of the hardcore competitors start coming from there too. I mean, kids are gonna get hooked and buy the game for themselves, and tons of hardcore players will evolve out of it.

  • stevo1588

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:19 pm PT

    [This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

  • Donkeljohn Site moderator

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:13 pm PT

    Games are exercise. . .who would have thought?

  • AlexWills

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:13 pm PT

    As someone who lives in West Virginia I'm very excited to be able to play DDR in school. GO WOODROW!!!

  • KennethGorelick

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:12 pm PT

    It looks like video games may be making a turning point in how the majority of adults look at them. Maybe now they won't think that every single game is violent.

  • deleteuser

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:09 pm PT

    Those people are lucky. DDR ****ing pwns!

  • RazMasters

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:09 pm PT

    Good to hear. DDR is surely the best game in recent years to combine exercise and gaming in a fun way. There are others who have tried (including Sony with their recent Eye-Toy game, "Kinetic"), but none have done so well.

  • panzerward

    Posted Jan 25, 2006 1:04 pm PT

    Too bad that wasn't the case for Illinois. My sister would go nuts if she could play DDR at school.

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