Just Dance (2009)

Lore & Background

The technological advancement in the 2000s shifted the gaming industry, with one of the most important developments during this time being the introduction of motion-sensing controllers. In 2006, Nintendo released the Wii and the Wiimote, a device that uses accelerometers and infrared sensors that allow players to interact with games by physically moving their body. Fitness culture became increasingly popular in 2000s mainstream culture. The Nintendo Wii was released in 2006. Its motion sensing technology and simple intuitive design made gaming more accessible to a broader audience. The Wii's success also had a role in the rise of casual gaming, as it helped expand the demographic of people who played games. Both the Wii and the casual gaming industry also led to the creation of new genres, including fitness games.

In Their Own Story

The living room lights dim to a warm amber glow. A group of friends gathers around the television, Wii Remotes in hand, their movements casting soft blue light across the carpet. The first beat drops, and the on-screen dancers explode into a sharp, syncopated routine. Someone stumbles on a hip roll, laughs, and swings the remote a half-beat late. The score dips, bounces back. By the third chorus, the kitchen door is open, a half-eaten plate of chips is abandoned on the counter, and the whole household is bobbing in time. The game doesn't care about perfection. It cares that the room is full, that nobody is sitting still, and that the next song is already queued up.

Reader's Guide

Just Dance is a motion-based dance video game for multiple players, with each game including a collection of classic and modern songs each with its own dance choreographies. During each song, players mirror a dance performed by dancers on the screen, following moves that appear as pictorials on the bottom right corner of the screen, and are awarded for their accuracy. Additionally, there are gold moves in which players must strike a pose or complete the hardest move in the dance to receive bonus points. Players are given ranks based on how well they do. Depending on the game and system it is played on, the game can be played with either motion controllers or camera devices (such as the Wii Remote and Kinect), or using an app downloaded on a smart device. The game can be played by up to six players at once on eighth- and ninth-generation consoles, as well as the PC version of Just Dance 2017 and the Stadia version of Just Dance 2020, Just Dance 2021, and Just Dance 2022, with support for a gamepad and a keyboard used to navigate the menus. This excludes Dance Crew routines for Kinect users for the Xbox One version, as well as Wii Remote users for the Wii U version, and PlayStation Move users for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 versions, which are limited to four players. Seventh-generation consoles and the Wii U versions of Just Dance 4 to Just Dance 2015 and the Wii U version of Just Dance 2019 are also limited to four players.

Did You Know?

• The first Just Dance game was released on November 17, 2009, with songs by MC Hammer, Elvis Presley, Iggy Pop, The Beach Boys, Baha Men, Spice Girls, Gorillaz, Blur and others.
• Just Dance 2 is the only installment to support eight-player sessions.
• Just Dance 2017 is the only title in the series to be released on Microsoft Windows via Ubisoft Connect and Steam.
• Just Dance 2023 Edition marks a new release format for the series, with all future content consolidated into a Just Dance live service platform, transitioning to annual song packs.