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Dance Dance Revolution breaks out in WV schools

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Jan 25, 2006 12:55 pm PT

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.

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