Nova Scotia Considers Dance Dance Revolution to Enhance Kids' Fitness

Nova Scotia Considers Dance Dance Revolution to Enhance Kids' Fitness

December 17, 2007
Can DDR help school children become more active?

Officials in Nova Scotia believe it might help. As reported by The Daily News, Health Promotion and Protection Minister Barry Barnet said that, while digital tech can make kids sedentary, it can also be part of the solution:
Maybe we need to reach out to the industry itself and encourage them to develop more games that are interactive.

Phys-ed teacher Bunny Shields said that DDR is very popular in her gym classes:
I've had girls that have been very inactive in class, and it's hard to get them going and get them motivated, and I've had really good success with [DDR].
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Comments

Submitted by tallimar - December 17, 2007 at 6:45 am -0500
i swear, ive seen that girl in the animation before.... maybe from a miyazaki film? *scratches head*
Submitted by tallimar - December 17, 2007 at 6:45 am -0500
err... nvm, pic was changed.
Submitted by Paul Kerton - December 17, 2007 at 6:49 am -0500
Of course games like DDR can help kids get fit. Modern technology engages the children, why not take advantage of it.

Not every game is a "killing simulator"
Submitted by squezey - December 17, 2007 at 7:15 am -0500
but ddr is too violent! It is a killing simulater! Teh chilrenz will learn how to stomp on things like peoples heads with deadly accuracy! /sarcasm
Submitted by Lovely - December 17, 2007 at 7:57 am -0500
After playing this, "Dee Dee Are" , it's been proven that children have an increased heart rate, break into "the sweats" and even more physical and mental symptoms.
The fact that this evil interactive "jumping simulator" is brought into the class room just disgusts me.


Ha, ha, just kidding. Yeah, DDR and other dancing games are a fun way to get exercise. It makes me sad that in my current apartment the floors are too weak for me to play *sigh*.

That said, holy crap the kids in that picture are jumping high. They're going to hurt themselves doing that *laughs*.
Submitted by WarOtter - December 17, 2007 at 8:08 am -0500
@Squezey

Curb Curb Stomp Revolution: American History X edition
Submitted by TBone Tony - December 17, 2007 at 8:10 am -0500
wiiiiii

We finally get some good news around here

:D :D :D :D
Submitted by nightwng2000 - December 17, 2007 at 8:29 am -0500
Wow! I would have NEVER guessed that doing more than sitting in a chair pushing buttons would actually BENEFIT one's physical health.

Sorry, I just HAD to be sarcastic.

Really, though, I do like such games (though I'm not a big fan of DDR). Even sports games for the Wii are very helpful. And I've seen a number of coin-op games that are EXCEPTIONAL when it comes to physical fitness.

Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
Submitted by broken scope - December 17, 2007 at 8:52 am -0500
Um hello... the industry has sorta hit a maximum on the number of games that are interactive in the way that DDR is. No one else could bring it to market cheaper, without ruining any chance of profits.

The peripherals and the fact that the music has to be licensed from the musicians makes that are hard market to enter and be profitable in. I mean there is DDR and pump it up.
Submitted by ZippyDSMlee - December 17, 2007 at 10:26 am -0500
my knees no like DDR....ack I am 30 soemthign going on 50 >
Submitted by lumi - December 17, 2007 at 10:51 am -0500
DDR has been in the phys ed programs in some places (California comes to mind) for awhile now. It's a great fitness tool, no doubt.

In fact, it was the only thing that kept me in shape in college, since I stopped playing sports.
Submitted by Josh Martz - December 17, 2007 at 11:17 am -0500
"Maybe we need to reach out to the industry itself and encourage them to develop more games that are interactive."

I think games that aren't interactive are called movies, thank you.
Submitted by Soul - December 17, 2007 at 12:51 pm -0500
I tried something kinda like DDR once, but I really sucked at it :p .
Submitted by JustChris - December 17, 2007 at 6:15 pm -0500
@Weighted Companion Cube

Heh, that quote reminds me of something Jessica Alba once said about a cell phone game she helped design- "It's gonna be like an interactive thing". OH REALLY! Well, I am helping design a car for Toyota, and it's gonna be like a THING ON WHEELS!
Submitted by MonkeyPeaches - December 17, 2007 at 6:35 pm -0500
I lost my copy of DDR: Supernova, if someone could get me a copy of DDR: Supernova 2 for Christmas, it would be very much appreciated. lol
Submitted by FlyinM_X - December 17, 2007 at 7:40 pm -0500
I'm a Nova Scotian, and some of the schools already were using DDR in class. My High School Riverview used it in its dance classes for example.
I learned that when I spoke to my Global Geography teacher (who also was the dance teacher). She told me about it when one of our casual conversations brought up video games. I think the whole idea was to teach them to keep the rhythm, iirc.

When we did our SafeGrad celebration on graduation night (A wicked all night party I will never forget) she had the DDR game set up for 2p versus as one of the events. It was fun, but the mats slid around so much my centered foot would wind up standing on the right arrow. Go for left, miss, look down, my foot stepped on the center. Also one of the mats was near unusable, making the game very lopsided, and she used a projecter which I sometimes would wind up in front of so I couldn't even see what I was supposed to be doing. I'd just see a silhouette of myself.

Good times, good times.

I think they were considering it as an add-on to the phys-ed course long before this article came to be, about 2 or so years ago. I will see if I can find out anything about the future of this plan and let you guys know, although someone'll probably beat me to it anyway.

They need to invest in some high quality mats though. ^^
Submitted by chopperlink - December 17, 2007 at 8:23 pm -0500
I LOVE DDR!!!!!!!!! I have DDR Extreme and DDR Extreme 2!!! They are great games. Why don't people put the first-person shooter down and play some DDR!!

fyi: I don't hate first person shooters, I just think there are too many of them.
Submitted by CyberSkull - December 17, 2007 at 9:56 pm -0500
If it gets them moving, do it.
Submitted by squezey - December 19, 2007 at 6:17 pm -0500
I've been playing ddr ever since I was 9 years old. I started at a arcade in my area.
Submitted by Tom Jackson - December 19, 2007 at 11:12 pm -0500
Mmm....too bad for me. I hate rythm games. :|

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