[AC] StepManiaX produced by Kyle Ward

what is homage
also i'll do you one better:

---

Glad to see that you caught my references! The art was meant to echo what people were used to seeing with a bit of a homage.

Did you know that Music and Police is a remix of two separate songs? One of them is actually a theme to an older Japanese Crime drama Odoru daisousasen! Check out the artwork for it



The nice thing is, we actually care to go license fan favorites and bring back the tracks that people have been screaming years to be able to play again. You can't play this stuff on any other current dance game, so feel free to go play those and we'll keep giving players what they want!

sure, but what if some of us here at ziv are willing to produce originals for smx

---

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScfx_HHjg-58i6oBs9jcawZpavVk0gipE_okCIMiyh646W5Vw/viewform

Eh, you say paying homage/references, I say, not only copying konami's game and adding a button, but copying their artwork, fonts, and color schemes for the same songs too ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

---

Let me take a glance at your signature

Sorry, not entirely sure what you're saying here. Are you aware of how many games there are that involve pressing a button in time with something? Also, the display method here used in SMX is actually quite different than how other games are display it, and don't forget that there are a TON of behinds the scenes things. Did you get mad at Pump for licensing Electric after we had it initially in ReRave?

But alas, SMX isn't for you then obviously, that's fine. As mentioned before, we'll continue to provide fans of the genre with the requests they make as well as originals, crossovers, and everything inbetween.

Let me stop you right there, I'm not selling a theme and a songpack to the world.

---

TIL a new arcade game was simply a theme and a songpack and not at all development, programming, hardware engineering, marketing, research, outreach, or anything else. 🤔🤔 I forgot that only one game can exist in a genre too I guess!!!!

Sorry I missed this!

The best way is via that song submission form that jbean linked!

TIL what re-rave is :/

You're right, your DDR clone, and DDR clone artwork isn't for me. Good day to you

---

I don't understand, I've seen the developers of this game in the community calling Konami "the other guys" and talking about how "the other guys don't care" meanwhile they're copying all their stuff (homage wouldn't have almost exact same steps and graphics). I mean, this project in general isn't for me so I've tried not to really touch these threads etc... But we have developers of a game sitting here making fun of Konami, while their game is based and named off of a Dance Dance Revolution simulator, and is giving us redux of all of DDR's famous classic licenses. I mean, if it was even just a few Dancemania shared licenses, I'd probably still roll my eyes and say that's annoying, but I can be opinionated to a fault and see things black and white. However, at this point, it's seems like it's a majority of the new content? And when people give this feedback, we have the team behind the game overtly mocking these members of the community? Mocking someone's free fan project, when you are selling your fan project as its own game? I was discussing with someone, and they said it better than I can: "We're not like the big boys, we're the cool people, so here's everything that you remember about the big boys."

You, the developers making the game, have the right to do this with your game (...maybe? i don't know if there's any legal lines being crossed but i wouldn't really be surprised. i don't know the inside scoop but i do know the history...), but people also have the right to share their reactions and opinions. I just think, when you step out of "fan project" to "official product we're selling," you might need to up the professionalism. Maybe even listen to the feedback. You don't have to take it but at this point it would look better for you to not fight people and make nasty comments. Yes, it's unfair that the "community" gets to do it, and you don't get to do it back, but you're trying to go from fanmade to professional and that's just how it goes.

20 years down the line, how will people remember your game? Do you want people to be nostalgic for "StepManiaX"? What is this game giving us that DDR isn't? A middle button? I don't think anyone was asking for a middle button, really. I just don't think this is how you get people to care. You need original content that makes people feel different about it than what they previously felt about other games. Otherwise, after time, you're going to be remembered as a knockoff. That's just my little feedback, and as a company, you have the right to take it into account or not. Perhaps you're successful, perhaps you have people buying your product and you can be sustainable with what you have. I am not that involved in the rhythm game community anymore, and perhaps I'm not the target market here.

It's not a good look to make it "us vs them" while just giving us a shiny version of what "they" gave us.

Edit: what tantamino said

Adding a 5th panel does make SMX it's own game any more than octo-move is its own game.

---

I haven’t really been interested in this project that much, but I just feel like licensing so many songs that used to be in DDR and pretty much replicating the graphics and charts to an extent comes off as desperate. When you rely on nostalgia this much it really seems like you’re just running out of ideas. What bothers me so much is that I’m sure that many talented people would love to provide content for this game, but instead (from what it looks like) you’re so focused on bringing back songs that “the fans really want” even though you can probably still go find these songs on an EXTREME cab or play them on StepMania. I appreciate a little fan service here and there but when your updates are mainly comprised of Dancemania songs consistently it just screams “clone” or “we aren’t original.”

Also, I’m a bit disappointed on how the PR team is handling criticism. We all enjoy dance games. I don’t understand why those with differing opinions are being treated as though they are irrelevant compared to the so-called “real fans.” I love the old songs, but I want new content. Does that not make me a real fan?

---

I rarely use this site but your reactions are all laughable. People have been wanting dancemania licences in dance games for over a decade and now when we get them you all have melties? Also what's wrong to paying hommage to the game that started it all and adding some new twists? jeez

burner account alert
sound the alarms

---

So has KONAMI sued y'all yet?

---

Nah I'm not a burner I've been actively playing music games for over a decade but I never use this site lol

The sad DDR tribute game continues to show no originality lol. Kyle Ward, the little engine that continues to try, I bet he’s trying to get working arrangements with Naoki.

---

I will say that I do enjoy the update and I've been enjoying the homages. I think people are being a little too harsh to the team, but I also understand where the frustrations come from. If anything, it's a show of hands to Konami that there still is demand for this content in their game and if a little indie team can secure these rights for their title, Konami has no excuse.

---

Holy fuck no wonder I didn't stay on this site...

Just enjoy the game for what it is, So what if it looks like its a copy from what Konami had back in the EXTREME/pre-EXTREME days, you think if it was that easy they would have brought these songs back in their arcade games? I'm still waiting yet we get '20th Anniversary Remixes' that only has produced one fine remix of a license.

I'd bet most of you haven't even played the game or gave it a try when you had the opportunity, just keep bitching about it and eventually SMX will just make its own mark in the dance rhythm arcade world

---

I mean, I haven't been interested in this game so I just never commented and went on with my life. But now I'm seeing developers of this game making fun of members of this community on twitter? Worms for brains. A bad way to act with the community you're trying to sell your product to.

I hope these people aren't trying to get into game development because I don't think anyone would want to hire people who would cross the line into the fan community and mock and insult them.

Once again, the StepManiaX team is trying to sell a product, as a professional team. They are not acting professional. I wouldn't spend that much money to people I can't even trust to hold their temper.