[AC] StepManiaX produced by Kyle Ward

imagine getting all these requests, knowing that you're able to fulfill them, and then deciding "nah, let's spread it out artificially for no good reason other than to milk content over time"

because that's how you sound

no need for that attitude but go off ig
i'm just saying there's a way for them to add them while adding more and more originals at the same time, or at the very least make the jackets a bit more original, homages are cute but don't overload them, having the songs in is nice enough and graphics are a nice touch don't get me wrong, but it comes to a point where it does seem like the additions can be viewed as nostalgia bait, and i get they're requests but idk just tone down the nostalgia thing a bit, keep appealing to those fans but also keep in mind other players you may want to attract ig idk

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I did imagine, but for SMX, and not receiving the amount of clout that it thinks it deserves.

FYI, I don't like new DDR, and I'm now part of that 30+ plus that use to go to the arcade, though in my case it was Euromix EZ2Dancer before that actually, I've actually sat and tapped along to some of these step charts to see if my brain can process the middle panel being there, It can but sometimes I tap downwards or upwards.

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remember when konami included the entirety of 2nd mix in X3, and how people thought that was fucking cool

but StepmaniaX adding a single update that contains an admittedly large collection of 'revivals' (that i too will hammer home were the most requested) is just taking it too far, i guess

This is probably one of the only places in the world left that proudly has Konami fanboys in 2k20

Yea, those people and myself are 2 different things, perhaps they're the same people that loved HP2 when it came out, and then said it was the worst one later on down the line

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This is the songlist that was posted earlier in this thread.

Nearly half of the songs on it are from DDR, Pump Pro or Re-Rave. I get that there's different songs on there, but to argue that around 50% of the songlist isn't either rehashed content is dishonest.


Konami has been good lately, since X2 and especially since A their charts have been comparable to what the ITG community releases.

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bc konami themselves were the one that added it, and that was the whole purpose of the game, that said, X3 has been viewed in a meh kind of light nowadays many people thought it relied too heavily on old content (2ndmix and cs songs), times have changed

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The thing is, revivals hold less weight then new content, regardless of demand. If Kind Lady was revived today, people on this site would have an orgasm, play it once, then complain that it's not new.The point is to bring back something that was already in the game, not take something considered legendary and complain about how expensive it was to do. Personally, I liked what the XX team did with their 20th anniversary mixes, it's a lot more creative than what konami or smx are doing

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So I want to preface this by saying that I would love to try SMX if I ever get the opportunity. And I actually don't mind the Dancemania licenses.

What I do have a problem with is the graphics. You say they are homages, but they are often almost exactly the same. SO DEEP is probably the worst offender, given the SILVERTEAR logo is exactly the same (something that was not done for STAY). There are quite a few other examples. People have been sued for less. I'm sure when Konami approved the game they didn't get the impression that the team would be copying their graphics.

The steps are less of an issue, imo. It's harder to create original patterns when SMX shares four of the same panels with DDR. The charts are what I would consider homages.

Basically, change the graphics and I would find the overuse of Dancemania weird, but at least that can be attributed to fan demand. In any case, I'd love to play SMX if I ever get that chance.

Download stepmania and buy a quality metal/arcade pad and relive the early 2000s if you want to, that was a popular thing to do 10 years ago so I suppose it must be popular again 10 years later.

Recharting songs from DDR isn't a bad thing, the community has been doing it for over 15 years, most of us did it when we were young and didn't understand what chart flow was.

I dont want these old songs back in modern DDR cause not only would I not play them but neither would the vast majority of the playerbase, they would sit there not being played.

I'm 28, I've played this game for like 20 years, not even I want the old stuff in the game that was already removed.

Nostalgia is overrated

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take it up with everybody who requested the songs

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I actually really like Bandito and have never heard of it before. That's the kind of stuff they should be focusing on adding on top of originals.

I'm waiting for them to add a new Max remix to the game.
im joking

i will

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Are you just here to be a dickhead, or do you have anything useful to say?

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Dancemania revivals are cool and all, but putting more focus on original content and ReRave revivals would be even cooler

The ReRave revivals are more original at least. Reviving DDR songs I can play on a PS2 or Stepmania isn't quite as exciting. The effort the Stepmaniax dev team is making to get these revivals is commendable, but I think more time should be focused on getting originals and revivals from ReRave instead of chasing the nostagia of early 2000s DDR.

Also I have to be honest, the focus on Dancemania revivals is becoming excessive. They make up roughly half the songlist for each update. It's beoming less of acknowleding the past, and more of getting stuck in it. Some of those graphics and chart patterns are blatant copying of Konami's homework. There's nothing wrong reviving them, but I think it'd be good to step back and consider: "are we becoming too much like the thing that inspired us?"

The reason DDR gets away with revivals is because they ultimately make up a small portion of each mix. In the case of A20, the 20th anniversary mix, Konami at least put a twist on the songs they revived. Yes, Dancemania revivals make up a small portion of the Stepmaniax songlist, but them being a large focus of updates strikes me as problematic. Also tbh I only really cared about the IF YOU WERE HERE remix from X2

The issue of identity for Stepmaniax is also concerning. Do you want it to be known as "that game with the good pads and the old DDR songs"? I personally wouldn't enjoy that for a project of mine, and I feel that if Stepmaniax continues in this direction, that's all it's going to be. The banking on DDR nostalgia is going to hurt Stepmaniax in the long run, as that's mainly what people are going to be playing for. If you want this project to keep going, you'll eventually have to shift more of the focus onto original content instead of revivals from almost 20 years ago.

Am I saying that you have to drop the Dancemania revivals completely? Of course not. What I'm saying instead is to start focusing more on original content instead of the constant throwbacks. Plus this way people will like Stepmaniax for being Stepmaniax, and not because it has the DDR songs they grew up playing.

People keep saying to focus more on originals, but y'all do realize Step Revolution has only one musician on staff, right? The reason KONAMI, Andamiro, and the like can have a steady crop of originals is because they have the money and connections to commission a pool of artists to make exclusives along with a group of in-house musicians (the BEMANI Sound Team for the former, artists like Max, Nato, Doin, and SHK for the latter) that will be on-hand to beef up the songlists. Also, not only does it take money, but it also takes time: unless you want them to only license a track every two months, there's no feasible way to make originals seem like the focus unless they want to burnout any artists they tap.

The licensing of Dancemania tracks also takes time and money. They can shift the time and money they've been putting into these revivals towards licensing other tracks, or commissioning artists that have expressed an interest in their work being in Stepmaniax. I never said Kyle Ward has to be responsible for creating the originals either. I'm sure people would be willing to work with Step Revolution if they reach out.

pee pee

EDIT: removed for accidentally saying something that could be insensitive and hurtful

anyway this game looks weird