So you think you can dance? There’s a video game for you.
Actually, millions of Americans already have converted their game systems into dancing machines. How else to explain the success of games such as Just Dance 2?
A sequel to last year’s Wii hit that has sold more than 2 million copies worldwide, Just Dance 2 — with choreographed songs from artists such as Katy Perry and James Brown — has been among the 10 top-selling games the past two months, according to market tracking firm The NPD Group.
Just Dance 2 and Dance Central, a new Xbox 360 game from the creators of the Rock Band franchise, helped increase the number of music and dance games sold by 38% over last November, NPD says.
The best dancing games do an entertainment two-step: in party mode, the games let light-footed folks strut their stuff; as solitary experiences, wallflowers can work on their moves in privacy.
Just Dance games for the Wii require you to move the wireless remote properly as you dance along; Dance Central tracks your body movements using the Kinect hands-free control system.
“When you make the moves and the exact motions, and the console repeats it back to you in real-time without skipping a beat, that is a powerful sensation,” says Scott Steinberg of consulting firm TechSavvy Global.
With sales of Just Dance 2 outpacing those of the original, Ubisoft hopes to capitalize even more on the dance trend with other releases Just Dance Kids ($30, all ages) and Michael Jackson: The Experience ($50, ages 10-up, for Wii; due in 2011 for PS3 and Xbox 360). “The dance category is exploding,” says Ubisoft’s Tony Key.
Other games stepping out:
*Zumba Fitness ($40 for PS3 and Wii, $50 for Xbox 360, all ages) transforms the Latin dance fitness program into a game experience for up to…