Every First Lady in the White House has their own agenda while their husbands serve our nation, and it appears Michelle Obama is focused on conquering the epidemic of childhood obesity. With the new fitness initiative “Let’s Move,” Mrs. Obama has been working hard to educate our nation’s youth on healthier eating habits, while promoting fun workout activities to burn calories.

A recent WCBS New York news report showed the First Lady proving her coolness at a press conference, by discussing Konami’s sweat inducing rhythm game, Dance Dance Revolution.

“I can attest to Dance Dance Revolution,” she remarked. “We got it at Camp David, and it will make you sweat. And it is addictive in a very good way.”

Don’t expect to see Mrs. Obama getting her husband in on the action. While he may have some basketball skills, he’s got two left feet on the dance floor. “[The] president still can’t do it,” quipped Mrs. Obama.

Konami

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If you’ve been thirsting for all things DDR on your PS3 (me, I’m still rockin’ Supernova on my PS2 to ward off the pangs), at long last your wait is over. DanceDanceRevolution is finally coming to PS3, and it’s bringing the Move with it! Likely delayed until Sony could incorporate their (perfectly named) motion control, this new generation of the popular dance game also has a host of new features, including new game modes Dance Off and Club Mode, an increased difficulty level (!), improved graphics and recording features. And now, instead of merely using your feet, you’ll also have to use your hands, an option incorporated into the PS2 iterations but never fully realized. As for the music, there will be 25 new songs from Konami artists, as well as 20 hits from popular recording artists.

And like it’s PS3 brethern Kung-Fu Live, Playstation Eye compatibility will use video imaging to place you within the game on on-screen, which you can then use to record your dance and post it online.

The dance party starts this fall. Check out screen shots of the all new DanceDanceRevolution, below.

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KONAMI ANNOUNCES DANCEDANCEREVOLUTION AVAILABLE ON THE PLAYSTATION 3 FOR THE FIRST TIME

Best-Selling Rhythm Based Game Features the PlayStation Move Challenging New Modes, All-New Tracks, Augmented Reality and More!Best-Selling Rhythm Based Game Features the PlayStation Move Challenging New Modes, All-New Tracks, Augmented Reality and More!

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – Aug. 12, 2010 – KONAMI announced today that DanceDanceRevolution will be hitting the PlayStation^®3 computer entertainment system for the very first time! The latest release for the best-selling franchise combines the physically engaging, innovative and easy-to-pick-up-and-play mechanics of all DanceDanceRevolution releases with all-new features that maximize the technological capabilities of the PS3 to its fullest. New additions include the PlayStation^®Move motion-control compatibility, all-new game modes, increased difficulty level, improved graphics and recording features.

In DanceDanceRevolution for PS3, players will find the game offers much more than following the arrows with their feet. In this iteration of DanceDanceRevolution, players will use both their hands and feet simultaneously, via PlayStationMove and controller mat, providing the most rhythmic and realistic dancing yet! This feature makes for a truly interactive dance experience. Additionally, compatibility with the PlayStation^®EYE allows the player and their dance to appear on-screen. Incorporating PlayStationMove allows players to customize the screen which include features such as filtering effects, zooming in and out, capturing and controlling the particles on screen to decorate their dance and then record what the user has created. Players can bring their creativity to full potential by uploading the recorded dance video online and throughout social media networks. The recorded video can be uploaded on YouTube and Facebook through the Video Editor & Uploader of the PlayStation3 to share with their friends and other DanceDanceRevolution fans.

Never short on a wide variety of great tunes, DanceDanceRevolution for the PS3 comes with 25 all-new original songs by KONAMI’s original artists in addition to 20 licensed tracks from some of today’s hottest artists. The music never has to stop, because now players can download new songs and add them through the PlayStation^®Network. The game offers two all-new gameplay modes – Dance Off and Club Mode. The Dance Off Mode is similar to a dance battle between players where they take turns to play. The player who was able to step and dance more accurately will gain more points and will be the winner. The Club Mode is geared more toward hardcore DanceDanceRevolution fans where the player can play songs consecutively. The difficulty level varies depending on how well the player is dancing and several different gimmicks appear as well. Players can dance from four to 20 songs consecutively in this mode. If the player changes the options to non-stop, they can keep dancing until their gauge is empty! The game also features a high-difficulty level – the Challenge Level – for the experienced player where there are not only just up, down, right and left arrows but with four diagonal arrows as well making it the ultimate challenge!

DanceDanceRevolution for the PS3 will bring owners of this console the same fitness benefits that PlayStation^®2 owners and other consoles have all enjoyed. The original get-up-and-move video game, DanceDanceRevolution has become known worldwide for its effectiveness as a fitness and weight loss tool. Like its predecessors, the PS3 version comes with a user-friendly Workout Mode that allows players to easily manage their personal information and watch their calories melt away on a calorie display located at the results screen.

The release of the first-ever PS3 version in franchise history is just one more milestone in an action-packed year for DanceDanceRevolution. The game has been recognized for its get-up-and-move fitness impact by a host of organizations including the state of West Virginia, who has used DanceDanceRevolution throughout all their public schools, culminating in the 2010 DanceDanceRevolution West Virginia State Championship Tournament. Brought together with the help of the West Virginia Children Health Insurance Program and Sony Computer Entertainment America, DanceDanceRevolution continues to be used throughout the state as a tool to combat childhood obesity in a fun, engaging, and successful format. KONAMI has also brought its best-selling get-up-and-move video game to the biggest state in the union as part of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s award-winning program – 2010 California Governor’s Fitness Challenge.

DanceDanceRevolution for PS3 is scheduled for release this fall. For more information, please visit our product page at www.konami.com/ddr.

About DanceDanceRevolution
Originally debuting in arcades in 1998, DanceDanceRevolution has been available on most consoles including Xbox^® 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation^®2 computer entertainment system, and Wii^TM. Revolutionizing the get-up-and move concept for video games, DanceDanceRevolution combines high energy music with fun-filled gameplay. The game has swept into the pop culture psyche as it has had its own television program on CBS, is regularly featured on primetime television, music videos and feature films, has its own fan club and fan sites, is part of the physical education program in many school districts, and is a featured workout in fitness clubs across the United States.

About KONAMI
KONAMI is a leading developer, publisher and manufacturer or electronic entertainment properties and traditional trading card games. KONAMI’s software titles include the popular franchises Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, DanceDanceRevolution and Castlevania, among other top sellers. KONAMI is also the manufacturer of the wildly popular Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, which has sold more than 22 billion, cards worldwide. The latest information about KONAMI can be found on the Web at www.konami.com. KONAMI CORPORATION is a publicly traded company based in Tokyo, Japan with subsidiary offices, Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. In Tokyo, Japan, Konami Digital Entertainment, and Inc. in the United States and Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH in Frankfurt, Germany. KONAMI CORPORATION is traded in the United States on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol KNM. Details of the products published by KONAMI can be found at www.konami.com.

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Looking for Physical Education credit at the University of Houston? They’re now offering a class that centers around what the Wii has to offer. Now, this isn’t the first time schools have used the Wii in fitness-related activities, but I’ve never heard of a course being built around it! Here’s what the program’s coordinator, Jessica Wheeler had to say:

Our department conducts a host of research into the epidemic of obesity, not only its root causes, but ways to combat it and the diseases related to it. Using the Wii games can be both fun and an effective tool.  We anticipate that many students will want to take this class.

According to the NBC article, they’ll use games that “will teach posture, center of balance, and to improve knowledge of health and fitness.” Sound familiar? That’s because they’ll be using Wii Fit, along with Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort, and Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party. It’s not all fun and games, though – students will still have to take written quizzes on health and fitness, as well as document their calorie intake and physical activities.

NBC Philadelphia
via Destructoid

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Well this was certainly unexpected. Konami’s press conference just moments ago unveiled a brand new Dance Dance Revolution game for the Wii. That’s not the unexpected part. Parts of the game allow for Wii Remote and Nunchuk integration. That’s not new either. Unlike previous versions of DDR, and even unlike previous versions on the Wii itself, this new DDR game uses the Balance Board. You’ll be expected to shift your weight and sway your hips in sync with the arrows, wave your arms, and keep up with the game’s new fitness-oriented goals.

Something tells me that this will become more of a test to see how well you can control shifting your weight at the speeds of the songs without falling over, but I’ll reserve my real judgement until I can try it out for myself. It does look pretty interesting…

Joystiq

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