How popular is DDR these days.. REALLY.. in the US, the UK, Japan..

So as a full time college student and worker I have been very sad lately because I no longer get to play DDR as much as I used to. only once every few months now if that.
Though I still love there the series! always have and always will!!

But the series popularity seems to have dcreased dramatically in the US. I can remember a time not too long ago when I would go to Disneyland Iand I would see people in lines waiting in the starcade to play EXTREME and SuperNOVA. Now the EXTREME machine is always turned off and SuperNOVA just collects dust.
This kinda makes me a little bit sad whenever I see it. But this is just one area. Do other people see this happening?

How about you who live in the UK? is DDR/DS at all popular there still?

and lastly, the motherland, Japan. How is DDR doing in terms of popularity in the land of its birthplace?


discuss!!!

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Well, I'm not sure how popular this machine is, but there's one at a movie theater near me and it's always on.

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I hear it's losing popularity in Japan.

This was pre-X, so I don't know if X was able to bring back the crowd.

I know here in Ohio, there aren't many new comers and many of the veterans have stopped playing DDR and actually got a life.

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Here, DDR is still as popular as it was when I started playing in the arcades in 2003-04. And apparently X is doing well in Japan, so I guess that answers your question.

I think the reason for DDR decreasing in popularity is Guitar Hero.

My positive views on Guitar Hero have greatly decreased after playing Rock Band.

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...i have played rock Band, yet i still somehow like GH better...

...idk, it's the songs in it or something =/

Anyways, back on topic, the Tampa bay area is pretty much spewing EXTREME machines...it's just that no one really plays them, like i have NEVER seen a line to play DDR...EVER...

There are only two locations that i know that have either a SuperNOVA or SuperNOVA 2 machine, and even then, it's still not drawing in the crowds...

What's to blame for the decrease? Home versions...that's all i gotta say

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Possibly Guitar Hero/Rockband. In the case of "regular" people, some see you play and they think you look retarted, bar or no bar. Pros: they got tired and got a life? Hey, we're still playing, at least...

Most likely. People want to stop spending c. $1 for every 3-5 songs when they can pay c. $130 for their own home version that is, overall, cheaper than playing on the machine.

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Honestly, I've seen the game go in cycles. I've seen it been so dead that I can go any day of the week and have the machine to myself. I've seen a 14 coin line up (within the past month) Right now in our area it's definitely at a high.

To sum it up, I think the reason some areas have declined in machine use is because people have chosen one or the other "path," either use the machine or buy their own home version.

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The thing is, the home version doesn't have the same amount of song selection, the quality in pads, nor the atmosphere. Most people I know get the home version to practice for when they play at the arcade. Questions about whether DDR is declining or not have been around since forever. People were sure DDR was good and dead in 2004 and now we have 3 mixes since. During the fall, winter and spring, the game popularity widely fluctuates. During the summer it usually booms again, Also, remember that the economy in America is in a slump, which means less free money to play games with. Once the economy rebounds, Im sure DDR will too.

I don't think people who are new to the game care about the quality of the machine; they just want to play the game.

If you say the economy is having an effect on the popularity of DDR, you better have some charts showing game sales and price over time. That's a pretty hasty conclusion.

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Good point. I got my home versions just for fun, and plus, sometimes it's not convenient for people to go to the arcade everytime they want to play.
As for pad quality, it varies with home versions. I read on Amazon.com for one arcade style metal pad (with bar and all) that the bar wasn't fixed on right, and just easily broke off. Some metal pads though, are good, though I do agree it does change the atmosphere.

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when i go to arcades, which is sometimes rare, there are no crowds or lines. The only time there is a line is when I am waiting for a person to finish their game. But then I always see a crowd of specific people on Sunday. But then again I haven't been there in MONTHS so things could of changed *crosses fingers hoping they put a SN2 machine*

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My area seems to be doing fine, i've got quite a few machines within driving distance and whenever i go there's usually one or 2 people playing at the machine. It's not nearly as popular as it was when i first started playing in 2003 but it's not a ghost town either.

The number of players definitely increases in the summer though, i'll agree

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QFT (Quoted For Truth) Daiz

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At the arcade I go to every Tuesday night, I have the machine to myself practically the whole night, every time. At the most, I'll have to wait for someone else to play a set twice during the 2-3 hours I spend there. 1/3 of the time, it isn't even an actual player, just some 4 yrold kid with the parent selecting songs. I need the breaks, so I don't care.
It's not a good sample though, because people might get intimidated watching me play, and decide not to play when I'm around. Plus, Tuesday usually isn't a busy night anyway.

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I wish it was more convenient for me to go to the machine nearest me, but it's too far to go on a regular basis. I've played on it twice, but that's it. I have a few home versions plus StepMania on my computer, so of course that's plenty.

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when I started playing DDR back in 2004 I used to pop in arcades all over Europe and it was usually lively even in the most unlikely place. When there were Extreme machines around people were always around them and it was impossible to even play. I remember not even trying to wait in the line because I would probably not play a song till my free time was over. Now or well lately when I passed by the arcades I used to play in (GigaCenter) I could have Extreme only for me. But this might be because of the games like ITG and PIU Pro showing. But that EM2/ITG2 machine was really bad-_- still Extreme was free???? what happened?

What I see though is that people are buying CS versions like the xbox versions, ps2 version, hottest party...many people buy dance pads and play "DDR" on stepmania. Most of the people though tend to end with playing ITG. These people don't care about playing in the arcades. They have their own copy of a home version and play on that. Maybe in the future they might find out that playing in the arcades is better.

But what I see is...there is something that changed. Many of us had dance pads at home....but still was meeting in the arcades and playing there. Now it's more individual. At least here, no one wants to meet other players and have fun. They play for some reason I don't actually grasp. They don't talk about it, they don't play in the arcades and don't care about meetings.(I'm speaking about the potential players that could have this as a hobby...."not adults having already their life"). Does this happen elsewhere as well or we are unique country?

the scene seems to be pretty much dead, but there is actually maybe 3 times as much players, we just don't know about them. but does that make the game popular?

(and no one from this country from those "so called DDR players" in this country wanted to play on my Extreme machine....but they went to play ITG instead o_O - the never cared of upgraded ITG1!!!! ....anyway I play only DDR songs on it...but well the machine is in a really bad state still they prefer this to a machine in a really good shape? -the only ddr machine???. Personally if I would call myself DDR player I would at least go and try this game out.)

Computers_Rule: how far is that? really tell me. I used go to arcades that was 5 hours away from me in whatever direction. and of course in a different country. It was worth it once in a while. I was fighting with offsync stepmania for a long time. I had CS versions but they just did not feel right as well....till I end up with ITG2AC data and beware's Extreme.
People say they don't have money to go to the arcades, or travel far but well I think it's a question of dedication as I said already in some IIDX thread.

But yeah I understand many machines nowadays are in unplayable state and thus it's useless to go there and play on them. As not working machine makes me pretty angry....

The status of DDR over here in Derby's exactly the same as it has been since 2000 - nobody bloody plays it. I'm probably the only person that puts cash in the machine. Elsewhere doesn't look too bad, though.

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