14 DAY TRIAL // One of the many Kinect-compatible games that were presented at the recent Microsoft E3 press conference was Dance Central. This comes as a confirmation of earlier rumors that Harmonix and MTV Games were working on a dancing game for what was then known as Project Natal.
Dance Central will feature full body tracking through Kinect to help players learn and execute different dance moves. They will be able to master more than 90 dance routines designed by professional choreographers everyone can get the hang of, no matter if they are beginners or experts. The soundtrack of the game is provided by famous artists like Lady Gaga, No Doubt, M.I.A. or Bell Biv Devoe.
Harmonix is boasting that the title includes more than 600 moves that can be learned. The goal is to get players to heat up the dance floor and lose those few extra pounds in a fun and exciting way. Dance Central will track the calories burned every day to integrate the game into a daily workout routine. One of the play modes is Break It Down, which will detail every dance move in a given choreography for an easier learning process. A local multiplayer component is also included, letting friends and family join in on the fun.
Gameplay footage was aired during the conference, showing how the game could be enjoyed by dance experts and newcomers alike. First, there was a dance performance by Naoko Takamoto, professional musician, dancer and associate producer at Harmonix Music Systems that really wowed the audience. The presentation continued with Kasson Crooker, project director at the company, who confessed that he was not talented at dancing, but that working with Dance Central could get everyone to learn how to dance and enjoy it in the process. The game will be exclusive to Xbox 360 because of Kinect and will be released sometime in November this year.