Age Limit on DDR?

DDRmom · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 7:25 am Post subject:

I have found that most of the kids (as in young people) my family has met through DDR have a huge number of interests outside of ddr-everything from their jobs, to college to sports, to dance, to theater, to scouting, to travel, to music-you name it. Many of them ALSO have an interest in anime, other games besides ddr and asian culture just as many of them don't though. Even the most AAA obsessed ddr players have outside interests like cars, music, movies, sports etc as I already said. I've heard this arguement before and it really comes down to getting to know people and not just seeing the "arcade" side of them-when in the arcade a certain culture exists but it is by no means the total package of any person in the arcade.
Mom
PS-as I have kids the same age as Ryu and he is like family to me I see him as a kid-I was not coddeling him-just asking that those of us old enough to know better not get into silly debates over anime/cartoons with the youngsters.
everyone-can we please get back to the discussion at hand-age and ddr.
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radicalfaith360 · Trick Member Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Location: Dover, NH

This has been asked in several other occasions. I'm not concerned about an age limit but I think a height limit would make more sense. A man who's 25 can even be so short that he can't even see the monitor!

DDRmom · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 8:02 am Post subject:

LOL-I have seen a few very tall players and at my local arcade they have tv's over the machine with like music videos on them(took us forever to convince them to turn the sound off so we could hear the ddr machine) and sometimes on jumps they come really close to getting knocked out. I have seen really tall people have to slump when they play so their eyes are level with the screen. I havent seen anyone so short-even little kids-that they can't see the screen.
Mom
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WoodyWindy · Trick Member Joined: 10 Feb 2004

There are people for whom DDR forms an all-consuming interest. It isn't the first thing to do so, nor will it be the last. There are also big fans of Anime, Manga, RPG's (that's Role-Playing Games, for the uninitiated - e.g. Dungeons and Dragons, but there are many others) and the Grateful Dead. There may even be some overlap among these.

Never the less, I understand your point about some people needing to get a life. On the other hand, as I pointed out earlier in this thread, it is those people who are so consumed who are able to achieve the high levels of skill that those of us with lives can never attain, regardless of our age. (to bring this thread back on topic).

OMGLulu! · Trick Member Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Location: Atlanta

Ryu_Hirakashi · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 2:09 pm Post subject:

WoodyWindy · Trick Member Joined: 10 Feb 2004

ZGUY · Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2004 10:06 am Post subject:

I'm 35.5 years young and coming up on 2 years fo play time this June. And I play almost everyday for at least 1/2 hour. It's simply my aerobic work out. Keeps me in shape. And I've gotten pretty decent. I won't place in any tournaments, but I'm good enough to AA a dozen songs and play all 9 footers and 1 of the MAXes, MAX300.

But I have a life outside of DDR. Fulltime job on Wall Street w/ 50+ hr work weeks. And I do a ton of other things on the weekends. But I try to get a session in at the arcade to get the real pad feel and then the rest of the time I'm on my metal pads and Playstation at home.

DDR plain and simply takes allot of practice. You gotta put in the hours to get good, no matter how old you are. I still play every day and there's no sign of stopping. I'm still getting better & better.
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Slowpoke · Trick Member Joined: 28 Oct 2003

Thanks for posting... it's good to know that it's possible for us old folks to make it to that level if we just stick with it.

How long did it take before you felt comfortable (ie not worried about failing) doing 9 footers?

ZGUY · Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2004 10:39 am Post subject:

At my pace, it took me about 8 months to get comfortable with 9 footers. Slower than those young kids who have allot of free time on their hands. And these days, I'm just wokring on my PA(but I guess who isn't). I'm not even gonna bother with the other 10 footers. I just stick to the 9's. Also, I spent(and still spend) allot of time on SO DEEP. It's my fav song. Cool tune w/ awesome steps. Plus it's a great workout just getting through it. A stamina killer! I've been stealthing it for over a 1 year now. The only stealth under my belt.
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Slowpoke · Trick Member Joined: 28 Oct 2003

Yeah, So Deep is an excellent song... but for now, it's beyond my capabilities (on Heavy). I'd love to be able to handle a song like that once I'm 8 months in. Do you need the bar for that one? The footwork looks pretty rough.

ZGUY · Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2004 3:31 pm Post subject:

All songs, HEAVY songs, no bar, even MAX300. I simply don't know how to use the bar.

And for SO DEEP, people come up to me and ask me if I tap dance. I don't tap dance. No formal training. And for that song, I've developed the skill for minimal steps and not waste precious energy. I"m an old man, you know! :-) But I'm not completely stiff like I'm river dancing. I actually make it look like I'm tap dancing where I'll move my arms to keep balance.
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Tabz · Trick Member Joined: 17 Mar 2004 Location: Rhode Island

Man, I've never seen anyone over 24 play either

This has inspired a new mission... to find the oldest DDR player alive!!!! Eh, maybe not lol... maybe old people don't play a lot cuz it's high impact?

MZDA · Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2004 5:30 pm Post subject:

i think they should have age restrictions in the arcades like no one under 8 can play...since all of the newbs that i've seen are like 7 8 or 9 and they stomp the living day lights out of the pads...then i say "don't stomp" and they give me a look like "Hey, shove it, who do you think you are?" and such...

Clover · Trick Member Joined: 29 Jul 2003 Location: Denver

Well, my friend CJ has won 1st at every major tournament out here for the longest time, and he's 28. In fact, most of the people who play out here (and play well) are 18 and over. If there should be any age limit, it should be on the youth. I get tired of going to play and there are tons of kids jummping all over the machine, messing it up...but eh...DDR is for everyone, lets not start segregating games now...
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MZDA · Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 4:58 am Post subject:

I agree with you clover, but they could always get a home game (at Gamestop you can buy one of there cheap pads and a Konamix game for about $50) until they get better then they can play in the arcade...Alot of people who play in the arcade near me are like 16-21...I'm 13 but they don't care...as long as none of us screw up the pad even more than it is...

DDRGuyRazor · Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 11:05 am Post subject:

I half-agree with the stopping REALLY little kids from playing DDR thing, too. On one hand, it'd be damn nice not having to deal with pads getting the hell stomped out of them, stolen placeholders (if you use tokens), whining/complaining, children getting up while you play and the subsequent crap their parents give you after you step on them, etc, etc... But there are some little kids that are really good (6 and 7 year old that play Heavy songs like Matsuri Japan, etc..), and quite a few of them know how to play.

...Too bad we can't stop people based on IQ's, though.
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Antipathy · Trick Member Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Location: Kansas

There porobably needsta be a age limit.
I saw a couple try to get there what looked to be 3 year old son to play ddr.
If you ask me thats a waste of money.
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