Do The Flux [bioware] Thanks masterkeyes2!

User: I GOTTA PAY TO BE BLACK?

Moderator:
Black is an EXTRA feature. It makes your person look unique, so that is an EXTRA feature. Therefore, you having to PAY for it. (Or ask a friend to pay for it). As an optional character upgrade, we must put this in the item shop for players to acquire. This is the only way to offer the African-American heads. However, it should be EASILY accessible to all, so we made it just 1 POINT in the shop (which is basically for FREE). You don't have to spend any money to get it, just play the game and earn points. Thanks!

In this case, you're going to have to be down with Whitey. Kim Phu

Acclaim: Being Black is Awesome! [Broken Toys]

"We're creating something new and different for gamers of all ages to enjoy; the complete party package where gamers can dance as well as sing," said Alain Tascan, general manager at developer EA Montreal. "Nintendo's Wii is an amazing console that really gives us a platform to be creative and to re-think traditional game development."

Unfortunately the teaser press release EA sent us was just that, with the more information link sending us to a place with decidedly no more information, so hit up the Eurogamer link below for more screens. Michael Fahey

EA reveals Boogie [Eurogamer]

Electronic Arts recently announced that the 29-song tracklist for their upcoming brawler Def Jam: Icon for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

While the song list will be of interest to some, I found it more interesting that EA is saying that "music affects how players fight in each environment and avoiding hazards become a key strategy to staying alive."

"The Def Jam Interactive/EA partnership continues to be one centered around innovation. For the first time in any video game, the music is completely interactive. DEF JAM: ICON allows players to use these songs, as opposed to playing them in the background. And not only is there an incomparable soundtrack of today and tomorrow's hottest music, but now we guarantee the player with an authentic hip-hop lifestyle experience", said Lauren Wirtzer, Vice President of Marketing, Def Jam Enterprises.

The game will also allow you to import your own music into the game, which should, according to EA, also drive the environment and gamplay. Cool concept, but I'm really going to have to see it in action to decide how much it really changes gameplay.

Hit the jump for the full list of song that come with the game. Brian Crecente

Big Boi (i.e., Purple Ribbon All-Stars feat. Big Boi)
Kryptonite

E-40
Tell Me When To Go

E-40
Go Hard or Go Home

Fat Joe
Make It Rain

Ghostface
The Champ (Remix)

Jim Jones
Crunk Muzik

Jim Jones
We Fly High

Konkrete feat. Big Boi
What's that Smell

Lil Jon
Get Crunk

Lil Jon (and the Eastside Boys)
Get Low

Ludacris
Get Back

M.O.P.
Ante Up

Method Man & Redman
Da Rockwilder

Mike Jones
Back Then

Mike Jones
Got it Sewed Up - Remix

Nas
Hate Me Now

Paul Wall
Sittin' Sidewayz

Paul Wall
Trill

Redman
Rush Da Security

Redman
Let's Go

Sean Paul
Head in the Zone

Sean Paul
All Out

T.I.
What You Know

T.I.
Top Back

The Game
One Blood

The Game
Scream on 'Em

Young Jeezy
I Do This

Young Jeezy
Soul Survivor

Young Joc
It's Going Down

Rock 'n' Roll. Video games. Kindred Spirits. Parents and politicians have targeted both, blaming them for society's ills. That's not the only thing they have in common. Hit titles like Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero or Lumines show how profitable marrying games and music can be. Rocker Dave Navarro sums it up:

To be featured in a video game is probably the greatest way to reach a large audience right now.

The music-game genre is exploding with sales up 80 percent. What's more, traditionally non-music games give musician opportunities to, as hip-hop producer Dan "The Automator" Nakamura" points out, "to not work with the regular music label system, which is so screwed up right now. You can do the kind of record you want to get done and know it will reach a different audience." Nakamura should know, since he scored NBA 2K7, which featured Mos Def, E-40 and A Tribe Called Quest. As gaming and the music industry move closer and closer together, why can't I help feeling they've still got better-looking groupies? Waaay better. Brian Ashcraft

Music, Games, Kindred Spirits [Reuters]

As a gay albino African-Irishman, you just know I have rhythm. If you've ever read Voltaire, you might recall Candide's description of what happened when Cunegonde stripped naked: every bystander fell to the ground in epileptic seizures of ecstasy. Well, that doesn't happen when I expose my mottled, creepy pink flesh, but when I get naked and hit the DDR mat? Everyone becomes my ho.

So excitement! Shiny Founder Dave Perry has announced that he is directing game development on a game that finally meshes my penchant for dance with my inherent catassery: Dance!, a DDR MMOG.

Acclaim's press release focuses on the aesthetic aspects of the player's appearance in DANCE!, promising players will have a chance to create their own unique dancer through variable styles, facial features, clothing and accessories. It's certainly an interesting approach to a game type that's found difficulty moving outside the hack 'n flash of orcs and elves.

Get it hooked up to the Live Vision cam and see me become the Leeroy Jenkins of Dance!. Florian Eckhardt

Dave Perry Overseeing a ... Dance MMO? [1UP]

When I showed this to a horror aficionado friend of mine, he was incensed. To him, these hallowed halls of gore are untouchable, verboten, and not to be mocked! "Pyramid Head should not dance!" he screamed, clawing at me.

Here and now, recovering quietly and having a nice lie-down, I can only thank whatever dark gods prevented me from showing him this clip, which surely would have driven him mad with grief. Thanks for the link, Tara. Eliza Gauger

Konami, always one to milk a franchise, just announced the details for their latest DDR spin-off. DDR SuperNOVA for the PS2 will include more than 70 songs and, yeah, that's it. The game supports the EyeToy and hits on Sept. 26. I put the partial song list up for the game on the jump for you DDR freaks out there. Brian Crecente

Battle Without Honor Or Humanity - By Tomoyasu Hotei
Centerfold(130 BPM move it remix) - By Captain Jack
Come Clean - By NM featuring Susan Z
Curus - By D-crew
Dance, Dance - By Fall Out Boy
Do You Want To - By Franz Ferdinand
Doll - By s q `
Flow (True Style) - By Scotty D. revisits U1
Fly away - By ChiyoTia
Freckles (KCP Re-Edit) - By Tiggy
Funkytown - By Lipps's, Inc
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - By Cyndi Lauper
Heaven is a Place on Earth (German Election Mix) - By Julia
Hit 'n' Slap - By Asletics
Jerk it Out - By Caesars
L.E.F. (Loud Electronic Ferocious) - By Ferry Corsten
Let's Dance - By David Bowie
Mr. Dabada (Groove Wonder Remix) - By Carlos Jean
Mugen - By s q `
My Only Shining Star - By Naoki feat. Becky Lucinda
No.13 - By Taka respect for J.S.B
Peace(^^)v - By BeForU
Robogirl - By The Crystal Method
Shivers(Radio Edit) - By Armin van Buuren
Shout - By Lulu
Since U Been Gone - By Kelly Clarkson
Star Gate Heaven - By SySF. feat. Donna Burke
The Other Side(radio mix) - By Paul van Dyk feat. Wayne Johnson
True Love - By Jun
Turn On the Music(Axwell Radio Edit) - By Roger Sanchez
Video Killed The Radio Star - By The Buggles
Xepher - By Tatsh

Gamasutra reports that Disney is planning to assault us with proprietary DDR. I'm scared.

Konami is partnering with Majesco Entertainment to develop Dance Dance Revolution Disney Mix. [...]

"This is a powerful synergy that leverages Konami's highly popular Dance Dance Revolution franchise and Disney's phenomenal entertainment properties that are beloved around the world," said Catherine Fowler, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. "With its dynamic gameplay that invites the whole family to get involved and a recognizable cast of Disney characters, Dance Dance Revolution Disney Mix is the ideal product to kick off a series of collaborative games that everyone will enjoy."

Does Disney just seem fundamentally uncool to anyone else? Whenever I see Disney or Warner Brothers franchising these days, I cannot help but think of slovenly Wal-Mart clientele in XXXL Mickey t-shirts, faded Tweety Bird tattoo on one drooping bicep, chain-smoking into a stroller in the Dairy Queen parking lot. Eliza gauger

Read More Here [Gamasutra]

Thanks, Zhien.

For your delectation and revilement, here are two videos. The first is the Blood Elf male dance, which is a literal translation of the Napoleon Dynamite routine, and the Draenei male dance, which is yanked from the Captain Planet-flavored video for flash animation soundtrack favorite, "Tunak Tunak Tun" by Indian pop star Daler Mehndi.

The female racial dances aren't worth mentioning, as they are both hideously dull. As per usual.

As a hilarious aside, Daler was accused of human trafficking in 2003.
Eliza gauger

I dance like I have an inner ear infection, but guys like this make the solution to my gracelessness painfully apparent: just lop one of my legs off at the hip.

One Leg DDR [You Tube]

A dance troupe will be putting on an "ode" to firearms in a performance they are calling "a live-action videogame." Gun Play, they say, is inspired by the American obsession with guns and gun violence and will include actors portraying real people such as Hunter S. Thompson and John Carmack interacting in an environment created by projecting pictures on a wall. Chocolate Factory likes to call it an immersive 3D videogame. I like to call it pedantic tripe, but I'm not a big fan of experimental dance mostly because it's crap.

Gun Play [Chocolate Factory, via Insert Credit]

DDR Buyer's Guide [Fear and Loath Us]