DDR X2 no longer listed on Betson Website game list

Keep it coming. Diaz makes some awesome points about the differences between the western and eastern audience. To me note chart design has to take a presendence over "creating a puzzle". Note charts need to represent the song in a way that will bring the player as great a level of enjoyment as possible. The problem with that is catering to players with a higher degree of skill than others.

I've been playing for 10 years now, and I feel that DDR hasn't brought me any closer to realising my full ability. It's frustrating to play charts that aren't expressive enough, and feeling as though I'm missing something. Like eating a jelly donut without with the jelly in the middle. It feels to me as though Konami itself didn't care enough to push the development of DDR. Cater to all of us not just the droves of kids and noobs that come to arcades. Remember Konami, my 10 years of playing should mean more than some kids weekend trip to an arcade.

Create mixes that give the player some control and creat GUI's that are great to look and customizable to a degree. I don't think that asking too much!!

Hirakashi Ryu

Well, I was persuading the other arcade owners to change DDR versions after 10 years, but hearing that Betson is removing X2 is starting to startle me. I also heard that BMIGaming removed X2 from the list as well. I don't know if ChannelBeat still has X and X2 (since the site says to please ask), but it would be very nice if there were remaining DDR arcades like these to be placed at my area.

So, does it leave off to remaining our DDR EXTREME cabinets for more than a decade? I have never played X2 (the arcade version) before, so I want many DDRs around my home to have a version other than EXTREME so I won't have to travel to different cities to play X+ songs.

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Several times a classic cabinet upgraded with a Japanese DDR X kit (eAmuse readers and all) showed up on eBay for several grand. If a local option is no longer available to arcades and players you can bet your shirt that the imports will start rolling in again.

*standing ovation*

This is something I've been preaching for a while. DDR became insanely popular despite Konami releasing ONE mix to the US (a botched up 3rd mix, seriously?) Once Japan gets saturated again, expect to see exported machines. Unfortunately keep in mind that at least with X2, mixes not connected to eAmuse will have no way to have unlocked content.

Actually they released a hybrid of 1st and 2ndMIX in America simply called DanceDanceRevolution (exact same thing as DancingStage released in Europe minus the exclusives). DDR USA and EuroMIX were twins released about the same time as each other, AFTER 3rdMIX was released and possibly a response to all the bootlegged Asian 3rdMIX machines that swarmed the west at that time.

But unlocks or not, the used kits will find a new home... and as long as they were from a machine that at one time was hooked up to eAmuse those kits will retain their unlocks. For example, a used Japanese X2 kit would have everything unlocked except Theory of Eternity which required an eAmuse card with a jubeat knit save to access.

So if we did in fact, get these kits, they would either have everything (inc. I'm so Happy) or they would have pretty much dick all? (Just pretty much DDR X with the tease of Uni3 crossovers, RDA, etc.?)

They would have unlocks up to whatever the last eAmuse update made to that kit was (I don't think it's possible to uninstall updates, though it is possible to restore the entire drive). Though if the kit came from Japan there's a really good chance it will have everything.

...on a completely locked kit, and without the eAmuse system, it is possible to get into RDA... but all you'd ever be able to play is Sakura Sunrise.

So i have to say that everyone has there own likes and dislikes and some of us like to play a song that reminds them of ITG Style game play or what was the 1% of DDR before Supernova with Max 300 Unlimited or Legend of and some like songs like Bag on x1 Speed and playing songs that were comprised of less speed and more technicality. Its not what we like or dislike that causes the problem we face today honestly its the fact that arcades are not what they use to be i remember when only people over 12 yrs old went to the arcade in the days of mortal kombat and street fighter II. Now these arcades cater only to birthday parties and redemption games that when a new DDR comes out its like $10,000 yeah i don't think so especially with the constant repair costs too. Not to mention people talk about how fighting games are taking off again they of course tend to leave out the fact that in the arcade there is no Street Fighter 4 or the newest Mortal Kombat! people dont want to drive several miles to get to an arcade to play when they can just sit at home and do it. Lastly comparing East to West is not a fair comparison because people tend to walk more or take the train or what not especially in the heavily populated areas in Japan. We are so used to having everything brought to our homes and basically being hermit crabs in the West compared to the East. Is DDR dead no just like Rock Band is not dead people that are no longer interested in it like they used to be are the ones to blame for calling it dead. I want you to seriously sit down and think about this if your calling it dead would you say that you play it less than you used to before because that will give you your answer. As for Console Versions i noticed clearly that they were less and less popular when flat screens came around as obviously we had more timing issues to deal with and the "I feel strongly about this" lack of online playability. I mean i love the graphics of my PS3 version but really Move Support and absolutely no online play on a system that is sold on multiplayer experiences. Lets all jump to the wii version which i must say is good but really the wii your not gonna make alot of money supporting a system that is geared to little kids and an easily hackable system! I have a wii but i still have a hard time playing on a system that is outdated has no HD "480P is not HD" and a system that has no real online community to it as in voice chatting messaging and what not and the gimmicky stuff doesn't count! like really even the XBOX 360 version of DAnce Dance Revolution had no online support it was just a copy of the PS3. Please just go back to the roots that we love i dont mind the possession type songs but please bring back things like Enter the Dragon, Cow Girl, Neverending Story and what not those were so much fun and of course bring it stateside i dont care how even if it is crappy benson style. Because we all dont really want to be become fat!

Talk about first impressions.

yeah i usually dont write post but when i see something that i have been passionate about for over 10 yrs my feelings are going to come out sorry for the lengthly post!

I have to really agree with Ew0k. I have the same arguments with my brother every night, and all he ever talks about is how nobody wants to put out the effort drive/walk/run anywhere to do anything. This american attitude about video gaming is what has ruined the arcade industry.

My fat ass brother would rather sit in the house on his pc then make any kind of effort to do anything. I like console gaming just as much as anyone else, but I love arcade gaming. Beston needs to try to smooth things over and give us DDR back if we're going to have anything. I didn't spend 10 yrs playing DDR just to not be able to play anymore. I'll buy my own cabinet before I let that happen and 5 - 7k be damned!

If you build your own cabinet you won't be spending nearly that much unless you plate the thing in gold.

as much as I like the idea I don't have the skills to do that sort of thing.

I would love to build my own DDR machine unfortunately i want to have a ddr pad that is exactly identical to the arcade including the use of all 4 sensors in each arrow that is where my building becomes a tad bit too difficult but its okay because i really dont mind going to the arcade and pumping $10 into our machine every day that i go. "Viva la Arcade!"

Maybe if the West had better public transportation people would be more willing to go somewhere.

Also, arcades should run events (like LAN competitions and such) to attract people. E-sports isn't just Starcraft in South Korea anymore.

Want to know why arcades thrive in Japan and are dying in America?



America big. Japan small. Think about it.

UK small. UK arcade scene dead since 2003.

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Well a small area doesn't mean thriving arcade scene, but Japan's small area means a denser population where arcades can easily thrive. If you look at America, places where arcades thrive usually include densely populated areas: beaches, capital cities, tourist heavy areas, etc. This isn't a hard and steady rule, mind you, but being large and sprawled out like America doesn't help at all.

I guess country size doesn't matter as much as population density. Either way, it's simply two different cultures. If you took the demand that DDR has on the arcade market and squished it down to something the size of Japan, it would seem like DDR was booming hot again. DDR still isn't doing too bad since it still mostly lives off word of mouth with no marketing from Konami what so ever.

I wish you'd have implied that when you went with the whole "America big, Japan small" thing.

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