DanceDanceRevolution WORLD (AC)

New info page dropped:
https://p.eagate.573.jp/game/ddr/ddrworld/teaser/info/info03.html

A new feature, Flare Skill, which is similar to VOLFORCE in SOUND VOLTEX, was introduced. Flare Skill points are awarded based off the songs/charts you play and your scores on them. The total Flare Skill is calculated by the top 30 songs per group:
- CLASSIC (DDR 1st - X3 VS 2ndMIX)
- WHITE (DDR (2013) - A)
- GOLD (DDR A20 - WORLD)

Ranks and subranks are awarded based off your total Flare Skill, named after planets in the solar system (except Pluto). This ranking system. Songs can be unlocked from reaching certain ranks. The six songs listed in the info page come from the 25th Anniversary Music Creator Audition.

A new Flare Gauge option, FLOATING FLARE, will be added (only available in GALAXY PLAY). Starting with FLARE EX, with every time the Flare Gauge is emptied in a stage, the next stage will have a lower Flare Level. This process can repeat all the way down to FLARE I. Flare Gauge depletion levels have also been adjusted to be easier at lower levels.

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The six contest songs that will unlock based on Flare Rank if you don't feel like clicking the link:

極地大衝撃 / Kolaa
HyperNOAH / SK MUSIC
WONDER COASTER / MUGIPONG
Gravity Collapse / X-END
Roche Limit / Felysrator
Ødyssey / Kaname

Also, seeing the X series lumped in under "classic" is inflicting psychic damage to me. I know all three of those games are 10+ years old, but it feels wrong seeing them called classic. I feel like that one comic of Sanae from Touhou.

I mostly think it’s weird that 1st-X3 is “classic” because they broke it down further for DDR Selection. Beyond that, at the time of their release both Extreme and X3 were far enough along that old licenses were revived for fan service/nostalgia purposes. But at the same time, it’s 2024 and they’re not wrong.

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maybe it's just cause of the number of songs in each group? so many songs from the older games are removed now, maybe it took all those games to equal the other two groups?

If my math is right, CLASSIC has 474 songs, WHITE has 305, and GOLD has 411 + however many songs WORLD will have. The X series accounts for 202 songs, so that tracks.

So FLOATING FLARE is similar to ARS in SDVX. It drops you to an easier gauge instead of failing you.

But it's limited to Galaxy Play only

This is also the same grouping used in BPL (minus WORLD, of course), so that checks out.

Although, I do wonder if this new ranking system will replace the Dan courses or if the ranks between the two are comparable in any way. [Not to mention, are any courses even coming back at all?]

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I still don't think anybody at all was asking for a third tier of payment, Galaxy price returning makes me brace for the future unlocks being ridiculously slow on not only Normal but Premium as well as a not-so-subtle way to nudge (read: boot) players onto paying more per play.

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Sound Voltex has both dan courses and flare rank, albeit with different names for both ("skill analyzer" and "volforce") so I imagine DDR will keep both.

ik these images show the game as "WIP" but I hope they'll use something other than the same 2 images of emi and rage

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According to this tweet from Konami UK, DDR WORLD will actually be a worldwide release! The UK will get it on September 6th!

Turns out it's a parody account...

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Yeeaaah not a right decision for KONAMI to add an option that disables an announcer in arcade DDR games (which you can do in CS games), because if they do, then their soundtrack sales would be severely damaged in Japan as the in-game songs can be easily ripped (but not through internal data hacking) through video gameplay recordings/streams as an advantage and use the clean audio in other videos, especially the random low-voice cheering crowd which was an "okay" decision.

I don’t think their sales will be damaged. I think they will do much better in fact if they completely scrap the announcer. I mean it’s 2024 and having an announcer is a little outdated. More people are gonna enjoy the game and will attract more players without dreadful screaming duo. I don’t even know why announcers existed in the first place. Most rhythm games don’t have announcers. So why DDR. But I am super hyped to play this game. Whether it’s better or worse then the previous installments I don’t care. It’s refreshing and that is all that matters to me.

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I'm on the fence with it, but I lean more towards keeping the announcer. The reason I say I'm on the fence, is because ever since the home releases off DDRX onward, I have turned the announcer off since the Ozomatli guys make me cringe or roll my eyes. Even for Stepmania, no matter what theme I use, I always use Londell from MAX to Extreme announcing.

What I'm getting at, is I think having an announcer is fine, but so long as the phrases said are well done and not "lame", and are emoted in an exciting and hype way. The announcer is supposed to be like a lil hype man/woman anyway, and commentating on the "performance", similar to live performance competitions of different types. So if they bring in a new announcer (or bring Londell back), with new phrases or re-recorded phrases in a more hype and exciting way, then I'm all for that. Maybe he comments less during songs as a compromise for those that may not want an announcer? But if it's annoying and cringey, then yeah, I want the option to turn it off.

Don’t Konami’s other games still get soundtracks? And they haven’t had announcers in years if they ever had one at all.

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They can keep the announcer if they just turn the bastard down. That fucking crowd cheering noise is literally the loudest thing in the game and quite easily overpowers the song, usually at a really irritating time. It's done so badly that it directly messes with the gameplay.

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At this point, I am convinced that a proper worldwide release would give the implication that Konami would be willing to work with the likes of Napalm Records which already has a dismal chance of happening.

A shame too, cuz i think it'd be cool to see a "DDR meets Metal" category where metal bands cover songs that were previously licensed for older DDR games. I could see Alestorm's cover of In The Navy attract older DDR fans, as Konami could rebrand it as a modern version of the song that appeared in 3rd Mix.

Put it in the 3rdMIX folder and belligerently pretend that's the version that was there all along.

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Why not? It worked for Dynamite Rave.

...Seriously though, I will never forgive you, Konami. Just pay Argie Phine to license the old version already.

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The fourth round of information has dropped. This time, it talks about the things that will transfer over from DDR A3,

https://p.eagate.573.jp/game/ddr/ddrworld/teaser/info/info04.html

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