Dance Dance Revolution: The Most Researched Serious Game Ever' Why, and What Have We Learned

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Dance Dance Revolution The Most Researched
Serious Game Ever. Why, and What Have We
Learned?

• Debra Lieberman, Ph.D.
• University of California, Santa Barbara
• lieberma_at_isber.ucsb.edu
• October 31, 2005

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More than thumb exercise

• Every minute, two people in the US die of heart
  disease
• Up until now, screens have encouraged a sedentary
  lifestyle, but now they are compelling us to get
  up and move
• 
  

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Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) is an exertion
interface that is a

• Game
• Social activity and community
• Dance and performance platform
• Workout and weight loss tool
• Classroom and workplace activity

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The appeal of DDR

• Challenging goal
• Gets more difficult as skills improve
• Perform for others to be admired
• Technical skill
• Artistic/expressive skill
• Attract potential dates
• Social, fun, music, movement

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Increasingly used for fitness

• Workout cardio benefits
• Weight loss
• Dance skills
• People who play DDR for fitness report the
  highest enjoyment of the game

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Accessible to children, but cool for everyone

• On a medium that kids see as theirs
• Music styles appeal to various age groups
• Mario DDR for Nintendo Game Cube reaches younger
  children

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How DDR is implemented

• Public places Arcade, dance club, display window
  facing street
• Home
• School gym, PE class, classroom
• Fitness club
• Health center

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DDR and dance pad research

• Uses, gratifications
• Effects self-concepts, learning, social
• Feasibility as a workout tool
• Effects on fitness, motivation to exercise
• Transfer from game to other environments
• First, look at effects of the activity itself

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Effects of physical activity

• Cardio and fitness benefits
• Reduces anxiety and stress
• Sensory motor learning
• Increases blood flow to brain
• Thinking skills, creativity, attention
• Academic performance

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Effects of dance

• Physical coordination
• Facilitates language development
• Enhances creativity
• Enhances social development
• Improves intellectual functions and academic
  progress in reading, math
• At school, fosters positive attitudes toward
  school

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Effects of DDR

• Increases heart rate and cardiovascular exertion
  keeps heart rate in target zone
• Fitness, cardio health
• Weight loss
• Coordination, perceptual skill, dance skill,
  self-confidence, self-esteem
• 
  (more)

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Effects of DDR

• Improved reading skills (receptive coding) for
  poor readers with ADHD, in grade 6
• Due to the rhythmic movement of dancing and
  rehearsal of visual skills
• Social interaction, friendships
• Strong evidence that social relationships are
  good for health

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UCSB study of DDR players

• 29 DDR players, ages 17-21
• 14 female, 15 male
• 10 play arcade only (4F 6M) 19
  play console and arcade (10F 9M)
• Arcade only average 4.0 hrs/wk arcade
• Console and arcade average 5.6
  hrs/wk console, 1.8 hrs/wk arcade

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Reasons for playing DDR (mean ratings,
scale 1-7)

• Enjoyable, fun game 6.0
• Like playing with other people 5.8
• Music 5.6
• Workout 5.0
• Dancing 4.7
• Making new friends who also like DDR 4.7
• Like the challenge 4.6
• Being admired by others for my skill 4.2
• Enjoy playing by myself 3.9

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Gender differences (14 women, 15 men)

• Men more likely to say they play DDR so others
  with admire their skill
• Men report more time playing alone in arcades
  than women
• Men more likely to say they get a good workout
  with DDR in arcades
• Men report higher technical skill and women
  report more physical difficulty

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Arcade players (4 women, 6 men)

• Spend 22 per week at arcade (Range is 4
  to 105 per week)
• Make more friends at arcade than do console
  players at home
• Rate their DDR skill and their physical strength
  higher than console players do

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Players highly involved in fitness and
workout (4 women, 9 men)

• Give the highest enjoyment ratings 6.5
• Say they are never bored by DDR
• Enjoy playing alone, more than others
• Also report making the most friends who share an
  interest in DDR

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Other dance exergames

• Pump It Up Exceed
• In the Groove
• DanceAlong
• Para Para Paradise
• Mario, Sesame Street, Disney

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Generation FIT, In the Groove

• Peer mentors at-risk children
• In the classroom
• Rotate small groups to pad
• Improves behavior, achievement
• Self-esteem and involvement of mentors
• Workplace version for break time

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Generation FIT Effects

• Absenteeism dropped for mentors
• Growth in social skills
• Improved leadership skills, confidence
• Improved fitness, speed of mile run
• More enthusiasm for sports, dance
• Example of transfer

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Other exergames

• EyeToy Antigrav
• Yourself!Fitness
• Shadow Boxer
• Powergrid Kilowatt (weight training)
• Kilowatt Sport (strain gauge sensors detect
  pressure against a force stick)
• GameWheels for wheelchairs

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Other exergames, kinetic video games

• Qui Quis Giant Bounce
• Vision-based game interface, using intuitive
  gestures (Hamalainen
  Turkki, 2005) www.webcamgames.com
• Breakout for Two (Mueller, Agamanolis, Picard,
  2003) www.exertioninterfaces.com
• Supports social interaction in sports
• Networked, like a teleconference

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Virtual sports and activities

• 2002 FIFA World Cup Football Stadium (control a
  soccer player with a floor mat)
• Kick and Kick
• The FlyGuy (virtual hang-gliding)
• Impact TV
• Virku virtual fitness center (bikes)
• The Golf Launch Pad

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Exertion interfaces

• PingPongPlus (augmented table)
• AR2 (air-hockey table)
• KiRo (robotic foosball table)
• Walk the Dog (treadmill)
• Cyclescore Bikeovision Kilowatt Neoracer
  Cateye Interactive Bike

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Networked physical interfaces

• Telephonic Arm Wrestling
• Virtual Tug-ofWar
• Snowwars (virtual snowball fight)
• NetGym (exercise bikes)
• Netathalon

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Future exergame technology

• Wireless, mobile computers support outdoor games
• Cell phones
• Wearable computers
• Tablet computers

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Quotes about DDR

• Active games should never be a substitute for
  active playing outside.
• Its the best of both worlds playing video
  games and being active.
• I love the sense of community it inspires.
• It encourages more kids to be fit.

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Future research on DDR

• Developmental differences
• Transfer of skills from game to other
  environments
• Motivation to be physically active
• New interfaces, virtual worlds
• Upper body workouts
• Improved workout mode

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Thank you!

• Contact me Debra Lieberman lieberma_at_isber.ucsb.
  edu
• Read more Available in December
  http//www.comm.ucsb.edu/faculty/
  lieberman/exergames.htm