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Konami dances on to “Kinect” for Xbox 360

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has announced an all-new dance title for use with "Kinect" for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Provisionally entitled DanceMasters, the new game responds to real dancing, with "Kinect" for Xbox 360 hardware demanding players move their body to the beat and position their bodies against a variety of on screen markers.

DanceMasters (working title) will offer users the ultimate dance club vibe, and boasts the most realistic and exhilarating dancing experience to date. "Kinect" for Xbox 360 allows players to watch their actions in real time and also save two of their original routines for use as back-up dancers in the game, no controllers required. As players dance in tune to the game's music, they can also take snapshots of their favorite dance poses, save to local albums and share the fun with friends. Utilising XboxLIVE® for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, players can also challenge up to four friends around the world and enhance their experience with dance sequences, theme packs and more.

Featuring 30 tracks spanning club music classics, Hip Hop, R&B, Pop, and Techno, DanceMasters dancers can groove to their favorite songs, creating non-stop set lists and can also download new songs via Xbox LIVE. The game also offers three gameplay modes for the ultimate dance experience: Dance, Lesson, and Status. In Dance Mode, users compete to become the 'Dance Master' as they play and unlock their favorite songs and dance along with a friend. Lesson Mode offers a tutorial service, and Status Mode allows players to check their play records and review the titles they have earned. Players can also compete to determine the ultimate dancer with multiple difficulty levels including Light, Standard, Extreme and Stealth.

"As an expert in the rhythm-based genre with games such as the highly-successful DanceDanceRevolution franchise, it was a natural fit for Konami to utilize the new capabilities of "Kinect" and create the next generation of dancing video games," said Martin Schneider, European Marketing and PR Director for Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH. "DanceMasters is truly an interactive, full body dance game, providing gamers of all ages a heart-pumping experience, filled with today's hottest dance songs."

DanceMasters (Provisional Title) will be released for Xbox 360 in Autumn.