BEMANI Panel - 10 Years in the Making

[pockystix]

I'm not the biggest Bemani fan, let alone the best DDR player or what have you, but I was thinking about one of the biggest game phenomenons during my childhood. That was back in '98, when I tried my hand at DDR 3rd mix at PenPals on Tully (back when trading Pokemon cards was the thing to do :P).

Since 1997, with the release of their first music game - being beatmania - Bemani has been one of the biggest pioneers of the music game genre. I figured it'd be cool if someone hosted a panel celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Bemani. :3

[zoupzuop2]

I concur. Music games simply wouldn't be the things they are now if it weren't for Bemani. They are due some credit, and a Fanime panel would be sufficient for, at least, San Jose's due respects.

[deepbluevibes]

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[DJ Stormy]

Sounds good i would like to see this happen i use to be really into bemani, don't have much time to play anymore, but i would be really glad to see more of this around fanime.

Cheers,
Dave S. (Stormy)

Dj Stormy @ Myspace

[CrackPr0n]

Uh... what would they talk about. I've been following bemani in the US since the beginning, when Souther Hills Golfland got the first Beatmania CMI machine in the country(though I had DDR 1st mix for PSX already), up till now.

I mean, we could talk about... what... the games cominig out here, and what they are, or we could talk about the actual scene and growth of it in the country(though this would be a VERY bad idea... since it was a whole crap load of drama. The first US Beatmania tournament, where DJ Shun beat the crap out of everyone... The first US DDR tournament and DDR message board (DDRManiax) to ddrfreak, and the norcal->socal rivalry (LOL Jdogg). The formation of TCL and the expansion of DDR's popularity east, IIDX hitting the states for the first time at Ultrazone and AI.

The basics are things you can find on the web, or watch the hillarity of Tampopo Arcade. But really, there's no content for a panel. Unless you wanna hear about the drama of a bunch of people, like JSB making Tigger cry, and Matt Coalson exploiting people to go to New York for a DDR tournament, I don't know what else there'd be to really say.

[OniCourseMusha]

I'm a huge bemani player.

Currently working on Pop'n Music, IIDX, GF, DM, and DDR.

[deepbluevibes]

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[ShortyNC]

Who the hell did I exploit =)  They wanted to fly us out to play DDR, what do you expect me to say?  

- Matt

EDIT: For anyone curious... god help you if you are =)

Matt (4:20:39 PM): http://forums.fanime.com/viewtopic.php?t=6626&sid=d0267131a4ebb87180e11b66bf8c8510
Mikey (4:20:53 PM): which post is this?
Matt (4:21:19 PM): haha
Matt (4:21:26 PM): "Matt Coalson exploiting people..."
Mikey (4:21:32 PM): IT'S TRUE
Mikey (4:21:36 PM): you can't deny it
Matt (4:21:44 PM): I don't know how we exploited people
Matt (4:21:47 PM): some guy was like
Matt (4:21:54 PM): do you want to come to NY for a ddr tournament
Matt (4:21:56 PM): and we said yes
Mikey (4:22:17 PM): n'ah you said "Sure but we ain't got cash monies to fly"
Mikey (4:22:24 PM): so it's not manipulative exploitation
Mikey (4:22:30 PM): but still exploitation
Mikey (4:22:39 PM): exploiting his stupidity and generousity XD
Matt (4:22:40 PM): we didn't =)
Matt (4:22:57 PM): I just thought it was amusing that it came up =)
Matt (4:23:00 PM): someone sent me the link
Matt (4:23:02 PM): and I was like
Matt (4:23:02 PM): wtf
Mikey (4:23:28 PM): hahah it's only because it's one of the more recent stories we talked about
Mikey (4:23:37 PM): we talked about it at New Years, so it was still fresh in my mind
Matt (4:23:41 PM): ah
Matt (4:23:43 PM): good times
Matt (4:23:57 PM): I assume you'll be at Fanime =)
Matt (4:24:00 PM): and why are you banned
Mikey (4:24:03 PM): and everyone in New York looking at Godden going "... what the hell... are we supposed to clap?"
Matt (4:24:12 PM): haha
Mikey (4:24:16 PM): because I pointed out how some people are stupid
Mikey (4:24:37 PM): like how i don't like random people running up and hugging me from behidn for no reason, or begging me for pocky, or carrying stupid signs
Matt (4:24:54 PM): =)
Matt (4:25:00 PM): I'm posting this conversation on that board
Matt (4:25:02 PM): because it rocks

[zoupzuop2]

Ahh, that's the DDR community I knew last year...

...and, in regards to what the panel would discuss, I think it should cover something around these lines:

*Bemani was successful in Japan with the release of Beatmania, its namesake. Chances are good (simply because I don't know) it received at least a small, devoted "cult" following. However, with the release of DDR came a SURGE of fans of nearly every walk (crawl?) of life, which eventually branched into interest in the likes of Beatmania, Dancemaniax, Parapara Paradise, Pop'N Music and dance-game spinoff Pop'N Stage (the reason why Andamiro pays Konami royalties), all/most of which were already successful in Japan in their own rights. The Bemani community has become a very tightly-wound niche of hardcore music and game fans alike, and continues to be a strong crowd amongst the arcade gaming community to this day.

...I know next to nothing about any game that isn't DDR or that first PPP game. Soooo, with that knowledge, I figure someone could take that framework and expand it into a panel-worthy... thing.

[otakuya]

History of Bemani games = good

History of drama of people playing DDR = bad

[deepbluevibes]

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[SohmaYuki]

History of Bemani games would be boring as hell.

In 199X Konami makes BeatMania. It does well. So they make new versions.

In 199X Konami makes DDR, it does equally well, so they make new version

In 199X Konami USA releases Beatmania CM1, it does okay. So they stop.

In 199X Konami USA releases DDR(what we call 1.5). It does super well

In 200x Konami USA releases DDR USA... no one gives a crap because every arcade is importing DDR4th mix+ and 5th mix, and soon Max...

DDR USA loses until Japan stops caring about DDR, so DDR USA releases SUPERNOVA.

Throw in a bunch of other games that generally failed outside of Pop n' Music and you have the history of Bemani.

[OniCourseMusha]

doesn't the "history of Bemani" sounds a bit plain?  I'm more interested in the bemani tatsujin videos and the past tatsujin players.