Ubisoft Q&A: “Just Dance 2014” and the Power of a New Generation

“Just Dance 2014,” the latest edition of the world’s #1 selling dance game, brings all new moves, features and over 40 of the hottest tracks. Check out the Xbox Wire exclusive interview below with Sean Crooks, Producer from Ubisoft on the Xbox One version of “Just Dance 2014” and stay tuned for more news and insights from other renowned developers of the hottest and most anticipated games coming to Xbox.

Xbox Wire: What are you most excited about for developing “Just Dance 2014” on new generation hardware?
Sean Crooks: The new Kinect on Xbox One is actually what’s excited us the most. The new Kinect has better tracking of players and an improved camera, so we can track dance moves more accurately. It also allows up to track up to 6 players, which is more players than we have ever been able to track previously.

XW: How does next generation hardware allow developers of the “Just Dance” franchise to innovate for Xbox One?
SC: The higher definition and greater power of the new platform has allowed us to deliver a full HD Just Dance on Xbox One. The dances are clearer and very vibrant; we think people will love how the game looks this year. It’s also allowed us to play further with the AutoDance feature to even more fun music videos of your Just Dance experience. Of course all these can be shared online to the likes of Facebook via Just Dance TV.

XW: What has Kinect on Xbox One enabled you to do for the franchise that you were not able to do on previous iterations?
SC: The 6 player support has allowed us to innovate with some fantastic acrobatic choreography (like Human Pyramids!) only available on Xbox One.

XW: What are your favorite new Kinect features coming to the franchise on Xbox One?
SC: I’d have to say, besides the 6 player choreography, a great new feature this year is the inclusion of Karaoke. Also, the On Stage Mode asks players to participate in full performances with one player taking center stage with backup dancers.

XW: Can you tell us a bit about how SmartGlass will be used to improve the in game experience?
SC: SmartGlass has enabled us to bring the some non-dancers into Just Dance. For the first time on Xbox, people watching on their sofas can now control the dancing.

XW: Outside of improved navigation, what are the benefits players will receive with “Just Dance 2014’s” SmartGlass integration?
SC: From their smart phones, tablets or even PCs, players can queue up playlists of songs, adding and removing tracks as they please without interrupting the game. Not only this, but we also have Party Master mode through SmartGlass so the player holding the device can pick dance moves and mix things up for the dancing players.

XW: “Just Dance 2014” features six-dancer multiplayer for the very first time in the series on Xbox One. Why did you choose to expand to six players?
SC: We know that Just Dance is a popular game in large groups …read more