Rounding out the list of promising Xbox Fitness Games announced at E3 2014 is one that we all knew was coming: Just Dance 2015
Even back in 2011 when Dance Central 2 and Just Dance 3 were competing head-to-head with each other, we were asking which one the better game was. The answer was clear: both of them. That is, if you wanted a fun game to play with friends and not get too hung up on precision, Just Dance was the game for you. On the other hand, if you wanted an actual “dancing lesson” that taught you complex and precise moves that you could show off, Dance Central did a better job at that.
It looks like both companies are continuing to accentuate their strengths. As you saw two posts ago, Dance Central Spotlight is going to put more emphasis on precision with the help of the Kinect 2.
Just Dance 2015, on the other hand, will once again be released for all motion platforms (PS3, PS4, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One). This probably means the scoring still be relatively forgiving and maintain a user experience that’s consistent with the least accurate of those platforms (the Wii).
Gameplay looks like it’ll be about the same, with a new soundtrack that includes the latest hits like Pharrell’s “Happy”.
The trailer is a little misleading in that it doesn’t really explain what “Just Dance Now” is. In the trailer it looks like a “second screen” for your Xbox, Wii, or Playstation. But that’s not what it is at all.
In reality, it’ll be a completely separate app and game that’ll sync up with the Just Dance website where you can put the phone in your pocket, watch the computer screen, and its accelerometer will work much like the original Wii remote version of the game did. In a way, this might be Ubisoft’s response to the decline in motion gaming interest (the PS4 made the Move an optional accessory from launch, the Xbox One just made the Kinect optional, and Wii U sales are lagging) in trying to make sure their franchise stays relevant. We’ll see if it catches on and if it does, if smartphone play becomes the preferred way to play Just Dance. In the meantime, you’ll have the game on all the consoles you like.