Dance Dance Revolution isn’t just a video game anymore. The fast-footed action game is now a means of exercise.

Flashing numbers and high scores soon will become part of physical education classes all over West Virginia as the state’s 756 middle schools bring DDR into their curriculum.

DDR around NIU

“In previous semesters, we had a few people who used the machines for a means of physical activity,” said Chris Riddle, manager of the Huskies Den. “We’ve had people joke about the fact it’s a workout.”

The Huskies Den in the Holmes Student Center has two DDR spin-off machines called “In the Groove 2” and “Pump It Up: Exceed 2.”

“My little brother was a video game-aholic and never left the house,” said senior ceramics major Leslie Jenner. “He started playing [DDR] and it was a good compromise. It allowed him to do exercise and do what he wanted.”

Physical benefits

The game was featured at the International Health Racquet and Sportsclub Association’s March 2005 trade show as an effective means of losing weight.

DDR has also been the subject of numerous weight-loss studies. Though there have been positive results, many people question the effectiveness of a video game as an exercise tool.

“[DDR is] really no different than an exercise tape that would get me to do the same thing over and over again,” said senior physics major Aaron Bertsch.

Public Employee Insurance Agency, which handles insurance for the West Virginia school system, worked with Konami Digital Entertainment, the producers of DDR, to introduce the DDR curriculum as a means of combating childhood obesity.

The equipment necessary to adopt the curriculum has cost West Virginia about $500,000.

“This game was popular before, and we know kids will respond to it,” said PEIA Spokesman David Bailey.

DDR as a class?

DDR is in other schools, said Marc Franklin, Konami Digital Entertainment’s associate director of public relations. He said there are no plans for any other adoptions of DDR into physical education curricula as large as the program starting in West Virginia.

“We provided a solution that is innovative and outside that normal method to lose weight and be active,” Franklin said. “The reputation of DDR combined with the need for West Virginia to do something different to get kids interested in being active created a great opportunity for both us.”

The Huskies Den wouldn’t mind if it teamed up with NIU to promote the game.

“We would like KNPE to start a DDR class,” Riddle said. “I’m sure the class would be accredited by everyone.”