DDR Classroom Edition Arrives to UK Schools

Konami has brought its popular multiplayer dance game, DanceDanceRevolution Classroom Edition to schools and fitness centres in the UK and Europe.

DDR Classroom Edition will soon be hitting schools and fitness centres across the UK and Europe. Konami's popular dance arcade game was presented at the 2014 BETT show earlier this week, and Konami has revealed plans to team up with UK fitness equipment distributor Pulse Fitness to bring the game to schools and fitness centres in the UK.

"Our DDR series has long been recognised by leading researchers and doctors as an innovative and fun way of promoting a healthy lifestyle and combating obesity, with studies showing that playing DanceDanceRevolution Classroom Edition for 40 minutes is the equivalent to a 5k run," Konami said in a release.

DDR Classroom Edition is an interactive dance game that allows up to 48 people to play simultaneously. The 48 dance mats are synchronised wirelessly with a PC, and the game itself runs from a PC-based system. The DDR asks players to look at the on-screen arrows and step on the corresponding icons on the dance mat. The game helps children and adults stay active and improve their fitness level and overall health. The vibrant graphics on the screen and the dance aspect of the game motivate them to keep moving to their favourite tunes.

DDR Classroom Edition has already had an exceptionally good reception in the United States, where it has been available since 2012. The Classroom Edition allows teachers to monitor children's vital information like Body Mass Index (BMI), calorie expenditure, and steps taken. The players are provided with cards that let them store their progress and keep track of their efforts.

Konami created the Classroom Edition to encourage school-age children to live more active lives by engaging in a fun, challenging activity with their friends and schoolmates. School administrators, doctors, and health and fitness industry professionals have been highly supportive of the game as it delivers an innovative way to promote physical activity and a healthier lifestyle among children. DDR Classroom Edition also helps improve kids' social and team-building skills and provides a healthy outlet for their excess energy. For these and a variety of other benefits it provides, including weight management and diabetes prevention, the system has been included in a number of obesity intervention programs in the United States in the last couple of years.